


The Last Thing

by Grimreaperchibi



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Canon - Manga, Challenge Response, Gen, Lots of liberties taken, Male Friendship, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-04
Updated: 2013-09-19
Packaged: 2017-12-07 12:03:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 23
Words: 89,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/748304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grimreaperchibi/pseuds/Grimreaperchibi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaiba never wanted friends, just stability.  Jounouchi wasn't looking for help, but a way out.  Yugi was willing to do anything so he didn't have to watch someone else walk away.  The last thing any of them expected was for things to turn out like this...  </p><p>A response to my roommate who didn't think a Kaiba/Jounouchi friendship could ever work out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please be advised! This story is based off a lot of assumptions on my part. The majority of events are taken from the manga version's perspective, which I think makes a more solid storyline. While I will undoubtedly end up referencing certain scenes that do show up in the anime, both the Duel Monsters and the Toei version, that's not the core universe I'm working with. That being said, I did try to get the two to coincide as much as I could, but I have completely thrown out the Noa and Doom arcs. I also completely screwed with the timeline in a (remarkably vain) attempt to make a good starting and ending place for myself. But for the purposes of setting the stage, you only need to know three. So...
> 
>  **Assumption #1 - The Timeline)** The time spent between the beginning of the manga and end of the manga equals out to a year and a half. The first seven volumes take a year. Duelist Kingdom occurs before the new school year starts (the beginning of April). It takes Kaiba four month of production before the Duel Disk is ready for Battle City, which falls during the summer break (early August). The final battle between Yugi and Atem happens before the break is over (late August). This story starts just after the autumn break (mid October).
> 
>  **Assumption #2 - The Setting)** Everyone is in the last half of their sophomore year by the time Battle City ends. This means everyone's approximate age is 17 during the course of the year. For example: Jounouchi's birthday is January 25, which is in the middle of the academic year. With the story starting in October, he hasn't had his birthday yet, so Jounouchi is only 16, while Yugi, whose birthday is June 4, has already turned 17.
> 
>  **Assumption #3 - The Characters)** Kaiba's background is completely arbitrary and was totally made up by me and my roommates. His attitudes/interactions towards/with Mokuba are also inspired by my roommates. The majority of the story revolves around Kaiba, Yugi, and Jounouchi, and the relationships there between, but with a group as close as this, there's no way to get away from everyone being involved.

The last thing Jounouchi Katsuya needed from anyone was to be saved. Despite the lengths he would go to for others, his willingness to place everything on the line for those he considered friends and the near reckless abandon he put into a fight (any fight), he did not and could not accept these things in return. And when someone tried, he would quietly and firmly refuse the assistance. It didn't matter who was offering what, or how obviously or desperately he needed the help, Jounouchi refused to accept anything that remotely resembled charity. Rather, he had to be tricked into accepting. So while "Do you want part of my lunch?" would fail, "I don't like these very much, are you interested in them?" succeeded.

Like any game, there were very specific rules to be followed and etiquette to be observed. When someone overstepped their bounds, the game stopped. Jounouchi would smile, and with some easy line rolling off his tongue, simply walk away. The board was cleared and there were no hard feeling at the next meeting. It was a dance Yugi had caught onto quickly, Anzu followed, and Honda, who despite knowing Jounouchi just that much longer than everyone else, still managed to stumble to along the way. It had taken Ryou a while and Otogi even longer because the reasons for this bizarre bit of behavior never came up in conversation. No one talked about Jounouchi's parents, his financial situation, or the constant wash of bruises and scrapes on his skin. No questions were asked when study groups turned into all night affairs, or when he asked for a third helping, or when there was the conspicuous lack of a lunch towards the end of the month.

Rumors abounded, and for the most part, Jounouchi let them be. To classmates and teachers alike, he was a goof-off and a punk, one of the worst students to ever attend Domino High School. But Jounouchi would simply laugh and say someone had to be at the bottom or be heartfelt about what they were doing. There were only a select few whose opinions mattered to him and everyone else could just fuck off, as far as he was concerned. And to these people, he was an incredibly strong and smart person in ways that defied testing results.

Of course, the only one that didn't follow the rules, and yet still somehow managed to matter, was Kaiba Seto.

Everyone knew (and expected) the CEO to play by his own rules. Being on the cutting edge of both games and technology usually meant that he was not only setting the standard for the industry, but creating the rules that all others would follow as they struggled to catch up. Business, and certainly not the big business Kaiba Corp. was engaged in, was not for the feint of heart or the meek; two things no one in their right mind would accuse Kaiba of, even if it was behind his back. So while countless rumors were still whispered about the weird circumstances that lead to his take over the company, no one would deny that he was a powerful and dangerous man. Especially considering that he'd fought for, and won, custody of his younger brother while he himself was still considered a minor by the government.

Most people were baffled by his very existence at Domino High. How could such an average place have both the best and worst students at the same time? In the same class? And how could someone who only showed up to class a third of the time possibly best the scores of one who was always there? Many believed that it was because of this extreme case of opposites the made Kaiba and Jounouchi gravitate towards each other. Like super magnets, neither could escape the strong pull of the other, which resulted in no end of insults, name calling, yelling and arguing whenever they met, much to the dismay of teachers and the joy of students respectively. If anyone asked, neither had anything good to say about the other, if indeed they said anything at all.

Which is what made that particular Wednesday so strange…

All things considered, everyone should have known it wouldn't be a normal Wednesday. Normally, students would trickle into the classroom in small groups, talking amongst themselves. Normally, it was one of the few days when the group met up individually at school, rather than walking into the grounds all together. The Game Shop usually got shipments that morning and Yugi would stay behind to help with inventory. Anzu always worked late the night before, so she gratefully took the extra half hour of sleep meeting at school offered. Ryou's family called Wednesday mornings, Otogi generally busied himself with extraneous paperwork at his store, and Honda arrived early in an attempt to spend discreet time chatting up Miho. No one really knew what Jounouchi did with the extra time, except that he would walk in just as the last bell would ring. The only thing that had been recently missing was the click of a keyboard from Kaiba's desk, who still had yet to returned from his American venture.

But this day, Kaiba was there, typing away on his laptop as if he hadn't missed a day, let alone two and a half months. Otogi and Honda walked in together, the former explaining some point on the previous day's homework. Having shipments come in the night before, Yugi had met early in the morning with Anzu for an impromptu cram session for a test later in the day. Jounouchi, still the last one to arrive, walked in shortly behind them and slumped into his chair without much of a greeting. They were the only ones there. There was still almost twenty minutes before first bell.

Awkward silence filled the air between the ratta-tatta of keystrokes. Yugi, being Yugi, tried to greet the recently absent CEO classmate, but got the usual grunt of acknowledgement and nothing else. Conversation was hushed and stilted, as if breaking the quiet of the classroom had suddenly become taboo. That is, until Anzu let out a startled gasp and bolted out of her chair.

"Jounouchi! You're bleeding!"

This caused everyone, including Kaiba, to stare at the blond. Jounouchi wearily raised his head to return the startled gazes with a bleary one of his own before looking down at the desk. Sure enough, there was a small puddle of red on the laminate wood surface. A hand came up to touch his face, trying to find the source, which was a cut along his scalp line on the right side. The thin trail of blood had dripped down the side of his face, pooling where his chin had rested against the desktop. He stared at the blood on his fingertips with minimal concern and then shrugged. "Ain't that big of a deal…"

"Other than the fact that blood is a bio-hazard," Kaiba said coolly. "Had all your shots?"

"You're the one that's been outta the country for months. Shouldn't you be in quarantine?" Jounouchi growled back.

"That only applies to animals and produce. Which would be you and not me."

"Kaiba-kun, please," Yugi begged, stepping between the two boys, his concerned gaze focusing on his friend. "What happened?"

Jounouchi shrugged again. "Nothin'." He wiped at the blood trail with his hand, frowning when the half congealed liquid smeared instead. Facial lacerations always bled twice as much as was necessary in his opinion, so it wasn't that much of a surprise to see one still dribbling. But he always checked himself over in the washroom mirror before showing up for class specifically to avoid things like this happening. Which meant he's missed something... He reached up and felt the cut again, wincing as the searched-for something dug deeper into the skin and more blood rushed out of the wound. Great…

By this time, Honda had returned with a wad of paper towels. Jounouchi used them to wipe the worst of the blood from his hands before he took off his school jacket. Blood had started seeping into the collar of his shirt. Without a second thought, he pulled off that shirt too, mopping up the side of his face and neck with it. This left him in a very thin tank top that revealed the marbled bruises forming along his shoulders and upper arms, as well as a large bandage wrapped around his side. It was also more exposed that he wanted to be at the moment, but that couldn't be helped, either. Without looking at anyone, he turned his back to the group before he started digging at the cut in his scalp. With a few muttered curses, his fingernails finally caught a hold of the offending shrapnel. Then he stared at the gory piece of glass, wondering how he'd missed something of that size in the first place. He tossed it onto the desk before picking up his bloodied shirt to finish cleaning up the mess.

"It's not even seven in the morning and already you've been in a fight?" Kaiba asked, a thin thread of disbelief in his voice. "What happened? Had to fight the other mongrels for breakfast?"

"Hey, lay off, Kaiba," Anzu and Honda said together.

"You don't know what you're talking about," came from Ryou.

"Can't you just give it a rest?" Otogi sighed.

"You know, I'm really not in the mood for your shit today," Jounouchi said, as though his friends hadn't said anything. He turned and leaned against the desk, staring directly in Kaiba's eyes. "So how about we just fast forward to the part you where you call me all sorts of idiotic and inane names, I tell you to fuck off, and we both go our separate ways?"

"It's been over two months," Kaiba replied lazily, leaning back in his chair. "I wouldn't want to rush you on your decent back to your proper place, lest you go into shock and take all the amusement out of this."

"Then let me make your day." Jounouchi smiled in a way that showed no humor as he leaned in closer. "You're right. I admit it. I'm a lousy mutt, an amateurish and third-rate duelist who has no business ownin' cards, let alone duelin' someone with them. I'm a perpetual loser and all around failure as a human bein' who will never amount to anythin' because the only shit I'm good for is runnin' my damn mouth and gettin' my punk ass into fights. I don't have the brains or the balls the gods gave a crowbar, so no matter how hard I try, the best I'm ever gonna be is a drain on society and the people around me. The only reason I'm where I am today is sheer dumb fuckin' luck. I should do the world a favor by findin' some small hole to crawl into and dyin'. Then people like you wouldn't have to put up with my stupidity and general degenerative state constantly affrontin' your finer senses." The smile dropped as he finished the tirade. "That cover everythin'?" Kaiba just stared at him. "Yes? Good. I'm leavin'." He grabbed his jacket and bag in one hand, red stained shirt in the other and started for the door.

"Jounouchi!" Yugi and Honda shouted after him.

The blond didn't even turn around. He merely waved them off with a "Yeah, yeah. Later." The door crashed closed behind him.

***

For a moment, the group looked at each other with somewhat helpless expressions and half formed questions. Honda made the first move, grabbing the rumpled paper towels from earlier and finished the cleanup of the desk. Otogi had found something extremely interesting under his fingernails. Anzu and Ryou were giving Yugi worried looks, but the smaller boy merely shook his head before busying himself with arranging his books for the day. Kaiba stared at them in much the same manner he had Jounouchi moments before. Weren't they going to do something? Where had all the bullshit about friendship and loyalty they were always preaching about gone? He might not like the blond much, but there had to be an explanation for why he'd just pulled a piece of glass from his head. And even if there wasn't, that tirade had been completely out of character. Jounouchi argued and snarled and fought back at every turn, no matter what the circumstance. That was what made it _fun_. To act so defeatist pissed Kaiba off more than normal.

He stood sharply, making the chair rock back unsteadily. If they weren't going to ask what the problem was, then he would. With several long strides, Kaiba crossed the classroom and was just about out the door when Yugi's voice caught up to him.

"No, Kaiba-kun! You need to leave him alone!"

He wanted to sneer and make some comment about how ludicrous friendship was if you weren't going to actually help someone when they obviously needed it, but Jounouchi had already made it to the end of the hall and had started down the stairs to the main floor. If he stopped to talk now, the other would be off the school property and gods only knew where after that. So he ignored the call, shut the door firmly behind him to dissuade anyone else from coming along too, and headed down the hall as quickly as dignity would allow. Being just that much taller than Jounouchi also meant his stride was just that much longer, but even Kaiba conceded that when the blond wanted to move, he could move. Because of that, they were out in the courtyard before he finally caught up.

"Jounouchi," he called in a tone that made adult men freeze in their tracks, brought board meetings to perfect silence, and on more than one occasion had actually stopped babies from crying. As was to be expected, though still frustrating in its own right, Jounouchi merely flipped Kaiba off over his shoulder and kept walking. With a growl, Kaiba dashed forward the few remaining steps between them, grabbing Jounouchi's wrist to force him around.

He was expecting to have a punch thrown at him. He was expecting a barrage of insults and threats. He was expecting a rather heated physical altercation that would probably leave both of them with bruised knuckles, bloody lips, and three-week suspension notices. But nowhere in those expectations did he have a half yelp of pain, a very audible pop that sounded like a joint being dislocated, or the feeling of bone grinding against bone under his hand. He knew his grip was tight, maybe even tighter than was really necessary, but he still couldn't crush bones with his bare hands. The courtyard suddenly grew quiet, all eyes drawn to them. Some of the students started to whisper. Belatedly, Kaiba released his grip. Jounouchi's arm swung down limply, the bloody shirt dropping to the ground from limp fingers. They both stood there quietly for a moment before Kaiba straightened. "That's not what I intended."

It was a lame line and everyone knew it, but what else was he supposed to say? Yet, where force hadn't made a difference, Jounouchi turned at the softer tone. He stared at Kaiba over his shoulder, his one visible eye dark with some swirl of emotions that the CEO couldn't even begin to decipher. It wasn't until the blond blinked that Kaiba realized they'd been staring at each other again. Jounouchi gave a half shrug as soon as the spell wore off. "Forget about it." Then he calmly walked away.

Kaiba watched until the blond had exited through the school gates, posture and step never once betraying exactly how much pain Kaiba believed he truly was in. He spent a full minute glaring at the last place he'd seen Jounouchi, not sure what he was angry about or why he cared or even what business it was of his to interfere in the first place. Then he stooped to pick up the dropped shirt, cast an icy glare to all the students still standing around, and walked back into the school.

* * *

To be continued.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my assumptions about Kaiba Seto; he acts differently when it's just him and Mokuba. This may seem like a "duh" moment, but their relationship wasn't like that at the beginning of the series. In an effort to emphasis this shift in his personality and mannerism, his surname (Kaiba) is used when he's in CEO mode, and his given name (Seto) when in Nii-sama mode.

Seto glared at his computer screen. Well, _fuck_. Wasn't this just great? He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, pulling at it in aggravation.

This is why he refused to get involved in the first place. Three hours now. For three hours, he had been staring at the same programming error, erasing it, and retyping in what he had just erased. _Three hours_. It was completely ridiculous and absurd and the _only_ thing he could even conceive as being the source of his distraction was the odd absence of thought he'd experienced while staring down Jounouchi earlier that morning. For some infuriating reason, his thoughts kept reeling back to the dark look in the other's eye when they had met gazes. And then, as before, all thought would just flee his mind. His hands, left to their own devices, simply typed in the last thing they remembered typing. Then the error message would pop back up, forcing him back to the present and another deletion of code.

He'd gone out to demand answers and had only ended up with more questions. Only Jounouchi, he had decided, could so confound logic and stalemate reason that he rendered himself a complete wildcard in any situation he was placed. It was certainly that trait that placed him at the top of Seto's most disliked persons list. A lot of people assumed from their interactions that he hated the blond, but he had hated people before, and his feelings toward Jounouchi resided more in the constantly frustrated area. As he was now. With all that in mind, why did he want an answer so badly to where that piece of glass had come from and why his supposed "friends" did nothing to question him about it? What was there to obsess over to the point of distraction, such as he was currently engaged in? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. So just _what the fuck_ was wrong with him?

"Good evening, nii-sama!"

Somehow, Seto managed to keep from jumping three feet into the air, though there was nothing to do with his pounding heart. He swallowed it back down out of his throat and stood on somewhat shaky knees to greet his little brother. Mokuba bounded across the office without much ado, completely unaware of how he'd achieved the near impossible; startling his older brother. His book bag was tossed on a nearby table as he rounded the desk and latched onto his brother's waist. "And how's my nii-sama?" he asked.

"As good as can be expected." He returned the hug, ruffling black hair.

"That means you had a bad day at school."

"That means I've been working on the same line of code for over an hour."

Mokuba just nodded and squeezed tightly. "Uh-huh. That means you had a bad day at school. You wanna talk about it?"

No, he did not want to talk about it. There was nothing to talk about. "Don't you have homework you're supposed to be doing?"

"Hai~!" With a cheeky grin, Mokuba bounced back to the discarded book bag and started taking out his homework. "But I'm not gonna let you get out of this conversation that easily."

Seto resisted the urge to sigh; his brother would only pester him more if he sighed. "After homework."

"Over dinner," Mokuba immediately counter. "At a restaurant. Half way across town."

Seto's patented glare clashed with Mokuba's infectious grin. After a carefully measured amount of time, he gave in and sighed. "Fine, imp. But your homework gets done first."

"Hai!"

Two hours later, at 19:00 sharp, Kaiba Seto gave up trying to straighten out the coding mess he'd been making, left instructions he wasn't to be bothered for the rest of the night, and walked out of Kaiba Corporation Headquarters with his brother at his side. Though Mokuba had given him the chance to pick the place for their dinner, Seto had declined and left it up to his brother. This usually meant that the meal was something as far from healthy as possible, but surprisingly enough, the younger Kaiba chose a seafood restaurant on the waterfront. It was one of their secret places; a table in the back with a view out over the surf, undisturbed by other patrons and media hounds.

"So, nii-sama," Mokuba finally began after they were both halfway through their dinners, "what did Jounouchi do this time?"

The fork stopped halfway to Seto's mouth. "Excuse me?"

"The only time you ever seriously despise going to school is when you and Jounouchi get into some sort of super-heated fight that gets both of you special time with the principal," Mokuba stated matter-of-factly, calmly tearing apart a crab leg. "So what did he do?"

Seto stared at the bite on the end of his fork in thought, and frowned. "Nothing."

That got Mokuba's undivided attention. "Then what did happen?"

"He was bleeding in class."

"He's a street fighter. He gets into like three fights a day."

"I'm not going to ask how you know something like that," Seto responded, resuming his meal. "But however true that statement may be, his little fan club has never reacted with such indifference to his injuries. He pulled a piece of glass from his scalp, had bruising all across his back, probably several broken ribs, a broken wrist, and a dislocated shoulder. Not a single one of them stopped him when he walked away."

"Did you ask why?"

"What?"

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "You can read stock reports and weed through business gossip. You can predict the flow of the market and the reactions of thousands of potential buyers. Your company has influence to the very heart of the gaming world and the people who control it. But what can you say you really know about Yugi and the others? _Other_ than what you know of them as a gamer," he hurried on. The silence stretch between them.

Seto put his fork down and sat back in his chair. "Enlighten me."

"Well, Yugi and Jounouchi have been friends for couple years now, right? In that time, they've grown close enough that Jounouchi was willing to drown himself to save Yugi and Yugi was willing to throw the Battle City Championship when Jounouchi almost lost his life. They're practically like brothers, and everyone else is just as close. It stands to reason that they know and understand things about his personality and life beyond his life as a gamer. Just like they don't know you like scallops and your sweet tooth actually craves jalapenos. They didn't interfere because they probably already knew what was going on."

So the imp had a point. That explained the dork brigade's reaction this morning, but not why he was having such problems focusing when he thought about the look he'd shared with the blond. Why was it so consuming? Why did his thoughts keep straying to it? Why couldn't he let it go? Why….?

"Nii-sama?"

He blinked and looked back up at Mokuba, who was staring at him in concern. "Nii-sama, are you okay? You were just staring off into space…"

Seto sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. You were saying?"

The boy didn't look convinced. "I was saying that since things are starting to calm down, you should take the time to get to know them."

"And why in the nine hells would I want to do that?"

"Because they're the closest things you've ever had to friends! We know for a fact they don't care about your money or your societal position. They're not going abuse you to get something for themselves. They're about your age and gods forbid, can put up with your attitude. It will be good for you to have someone _other than me_ to confide in and spend time with."

"Are you saying I've got an attitude problem?" The half joke did nothing to diffuse the situation.

"Don't change the subject, Seto. I'm _saying_ ," Mokuba ground out, "that you've run out of excuses. You promised me that when we returned from America, you'd ease up on how much time you spend at work. I love you very much, nii-sama, but even _I_ can't fill all that time. And even if I could, wouldn't it defeat the purpose of everything we've done to be free from _him_?"

Another valid point, though Seto didn't want to admit it. For as long as he could remember now, this is what he had wanted: a life of stability. Not having to depend on others and without worry to far off days. He was a successful businessman in a position to fulfill his personal dream and was doing well raising his younger brother. Mokuba could do anything he wanted with his life, and if something were to (unfortunately) happen to Seto himself, the younger Kaiba would be well taken care of for the rest of his years. He went to work not because he had to, but because he enjoyed it. He had everything he wanted out of life, more than most others ever got a chance to experience, let alone achieve. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing beyond that.

"So what exactly are you suggesting I do?" he asked slowly.

"I don't know. Invite them to the White Gala?"

"No."

"Nii-sama-"

"No. I will not invite those fools to the most important night there is."

"Will you just listen to me for a minute?" Mokuba demanded, hands slapping down on the tabletop a rare display of anger. "You asked what I thought you should do and I gave you a suggestion. Whether you follow that suggestion is up to you, _but do something_. I don't care what, and I don't really care how, but for gods' sake, Seto, please, please, _please_ …try to do something normal for a person your age. Prove to me this company isn't going to take your soul away again. Because if I have to lose you one more time, I'll burn it all to the ground myself."

Seto blinked. His younger brother was visibly shaking, eyes overly bright with tears and glaring hard at a spot on the table. His hands had curled into tight fists, knuckles white, his jaw clenched, and he was breathing hard. It took a lot to push Mokuba to tears, especially in public. He put up with more than most grown men during his day, which was certainly more than a normal twelve year old would go through. But he took it all in stride, putting up with long hours, few friends, and the constant weight of the media eye watching every move he made. His very life had been threatened no less than five times in the last year and though he would profess to being scared, he hadn't cried.

Yet with only a few words, Seto himself had brought that stoicism crashing to the ground.

"Come here," he said, tone soft despite the implied command. Mokuba reluctantly slid off his chair and walked around the table. He walked until his head ran into Seto's shoulder. He was wrapped in a strong hug. "I'm sorry. I know I promised. But it's not…easy…for me to want this. Be patient with me. Please…just be patient with me." There was a muffled response and a sniff as the hug was returned. His grip tightened around the boy, then he ruffled the black mop his brother called hair affectionately. "Let's go home, shall we? I promised to play video games with you and there's still enough time to get something in before bed."

Big blue puppy dog eyes blinked up at him. "Ice cream?"

Ah, yes. Mokuba's cure-all solution to everything. Sighing dramatically, Seto rolled his eyes and smiled. "You did get your homework done without complaint, so…I guess ice cream would be okay. Now quit with the guilt trip."

A grin was his response. "Wai!"

***

When Yugi returned home that afternoon, Jounouchi was dead asleep in his room. It had taken a lot of arguing, threatening, and tears, but both he and Honda had finally managed to convince the blond it was okay to take refuge at one of their homes. No mater the time, no matter the circumstance, he could show up and receive a warm welcome, a bed, food, and medical attention. As he dropped off his school bag and changed out of his uniform, Yugi noticed how Jounouchi was curled up tightly on the futon they stored under Yugi's own bed for times like this. Even though the sun was setting fast, it was easy to see the true extent of the bruising. It now spiraled up his neck and partially across his face on the side he'd been bleeding from earlier, that wound now wrapped lightly. What could be seen of his shoulder and upper arm had turned black. His had splinted his wrist and there was a discarded ice pack on the floor next to him. How long he had been sleeping was anyone's guess, so Yugi quietly picked up the ice pack and retreated back down into the shop to help his grandfather with the last of the day's business.

By the time the shop had closed and dinner was made, Jounouchi had awoken, bathed, and changed into a set of spare clothes that hid the bruising better. With permission from Yugi's mother, both boys took their respective plates of curry and a bottle of juice up into Yugi's room. It was rather painful to watch the blond try to eat, his splinted wrist not allowing enough movement to properly wield chopsticks or even western flatware. But he made no complaint, only the occasional grimace and hiss of pain as he jarred something. After dinner came homework. Luckily, there wasn't much to work on for the next day, so Yugi took the time to explain what had been missed.

"Sakurai-sensei said you could make up the history test anytime in the next week, just come in and talk to her. Obviously, the sooner the better, but as long as you take it before next Saturday, you should be fine. Also, Fujimura-sensei is going to be absent for two weeks starting tomorrow, so we're supposed to be working on our projects while he's gone. He said we'd only have another week after he got back to work on them before we have to give our final presentations. If we have any questions, Hidashi-sensei is the one we're supposed to go talk to, since 3-C is working on the same thing apparently."

"You're kiddin', right? We're doin' the exact same project as a bunch of third years?" Jounouchi made a disgusted noise and rolled his eyes. "I knew that hard-ass had it in for us."

"I don't think it's the exact same project, but think of it this way," Yugi said with a grin. "If we do it this year, we don't have to do it again for Hidashi-sensei when we have him as juniors. We can just turn in the one we did for Fujimura-sensei!"

"Naw, Hidashi and Fujimura are like best friends. I bet they'd compare notes on all their students to see if someone was doin' that. And if they didn't, then they'll probably change the rules somewhere so that the same project can't be used again."

Yugi frowned. "Well then, we could still use this project as the basis for whatever Hidashi-sensei's project might be and be done in half the time."

"That's probably what they're countin' on," Jounouchi replied, laying back out on the futon. "I tell ya, these teachers got it all planned out for every moment we breath in that buildin'. They're out to get us any way they can."

"How can you say that? You know as well as I do the teachers aren't out to get us. They're just doing their jobs. In fact, I dare you to name one that seriously has it out for us. "

Jounouchi arched an eyebrow that clearly stated 'are you crazy?' "Does Chouno ring a bell? Miss Queen of Expel? She'd've expelled all three of us for that stunt with Miho if she thought she could get away with it. She almost did, except that she quit shortly after that. Or how about Adviser Toupee? He'd've been just as happy as her to throw our asses out. I'm sorry, Yugi, but it is as bad as we think and they are out to get us."

The frown turned into a pout. "Well, mou! Why can't you just let me have my happy delusions?"

A grin cracked Jounouchi's face. "What are friends for?"

With a noise of frustration, Yugi reached back and grabbed his pillow off of his bed, flinging it at his friend. Jounouchi instinctively reached out to deflect it. There was a grating pop from his shoulder as he caught the projectile. For as light as it was, he couldn't hold it up. His arm flopped back to the floor. Yugi was instantly beside him. "Oh no, Jounouchi-kun, I'm sorry! I wasn't even thinking!"

"Calm down, it's okay," Jounouchi replied, a little breathless, clutching his shoulder. "Nothin' I can't fix. Just go get some aspirin and a heat pad, will ya? It'll be fine…"

Socked feet skidded across the wooden floor as Yugi jumped to get the necessary items. His mother met him at the bottom of the stairs with a variety of prepared hot and cold presses, pain medication and a muscle relaxant. They both flinched at the loud thump that sounded from his room, which was followed by a rather loud curse. She looked worriedly to her son, but Yugi just shook his head. With a quick kiss of thanks on her cheek, he took the stuff out of her arms and started back up.

"Yugi, please remind Jounouchi-kun I don't appreciate that kind of language in this house," she called out. Yugi half waved an acknowledgment before disappearing out of sight.

The blond was seated on the floor, leaning against the wall when he reentered the room, pale and in an obvious amount of pain. Yugi dumped his armload of stuff by his bed before tugging at his friend's good arm. "Come on. I don't want you on the floor anymore." Jounouchi gave him a look that could have been taken as a refusal, but no vocal protest came when Yugi started to physically attempt to move him. Slowly, ever so cautiously, Jounouchi got once more to his feet and let Yugi guide him to the bed. There was a half-hearted protest when the smaller boy started to pull at his shirt. It was ignored. Even more carefully, the cloth was removed. The hot compresses were draped over the bad shoulder and around his neck while the cold ones were applied to his side and wrist. A piece of cloth was used to create a comfortable sling for Jounouchi's arm. Three aspirin capsules were swallowed without water. In all the places the compresses couldn't reach, the relaxant was carefully massaged into the skin.

When all was said and done, Yugi sighed and curled up with his knees under his chin. "You really should go to a hospital," he said softly.

"Can't go to a hospital," Jounouchi replied just as softly. "You know that."

"But what if there's more-"

"It's a couple of busted ribs and a strained shoulder. I've kept everythin' I've eaten down, I'm not dizzy, I'm not paler than normal, and I'm breathin' just fine. There's no abnormal swellin' or pain anywhere in my body. I don't need a doctor to tell me what I already know and treat me the way I'm already treatin' myself."

"There's more to it than that!" Yugi cried. "I'm scared! I'm scared that you're not going to take an injury seriously enough. I'm scared that you're going to get hurt in a way that can't be healed. I'm scared that someday, he's going to hit you and you're not going to get back up! I know we're not supposed to say anything, but your life is more important than your pride. We're your friends, and it hurts us to know you're in so much pain and we can't do anything to help you except help stitch you back together. But what's going to happen when we can't find all the pieces? What are we supposed to do then?"

"Yugi…"

"It's getting worse. No matter what you think, it is. For the past month alone, the bruises have been getting darker. There's always more and more and more of them every time we see each other. And it's not just your body, either. He's destroying your soul! I've never heard you talk to Kaiba-kun like that before and I don't ever want to hear you say those things about yourself again! You've come so far, and done so much, and you put up with more than anyone should ever ask someone to put up with and _I don't want to lose you, too!_ You'd do anything for us, so why? Why can't we do anything for you?"

He was surprised out of his tirade by an exceptionally strong pull that toppled him over into Jounouchi. With his good arm wrapped around Yugi's shoulders, the blond squeezed him in an awkward hug. Kept close like that, he couldn't look up into his friend's face, but felt Jounouchi's head rest against his, his warm breath sliding past his ear.

"I know," Jounouchi said gently. "I know what I'm askin' for ain't fair. In fact, I think it makes me the biggest creep in the world for makin' you go through it." His grip tightened when Yugi tried to pull away and protest. "It's true. But it's only for a little while longer. By the time we're seniors, I'll be eighteen and I can move out. The paperwork's already on file with the school, approved and everythin'. That's only like another year and so many months, or somethin' like that. But if I leave before then, then I'm gonna lose everythin', and I really can't afford that."

"You can live here. You know Grandpa would let you work in the store to pay for it if you really wanted to. And as long as you cut back on the swearing, Mom doesn't mind either. This room's more than big enough for two, so we could share it. You spend enough time here you might as well live here anyway. No one would be the wiser."

"For a while. But my luck isn't that good. I know as soon as he realizes I'm not there, he's gonna send the police out to find me. That means I'm gonna have to start explainin' things that I really can't explain to people who really don't care what I have to say. Then I won't have to worry about where I'm spendin' the night because my ass will be sittin' in jail." He sighed. "Please, Yugi, believe me. I've thought it all through. This is the only way."

"Then promise me the next time he comes at you, you'll defend yourself." This time, Yugi forced their eyes to meet. "I know you can't fight back, but don't let him hurt you like this again. And if you can leave, then leave. Don't just hide in the apartment."

"Okay. I promise."

It was a rather empty promise. There was no practical way to accomplish what was being asked. They both knew that. However, Yugi was happy with it. Getting Jounouchi to say he'd do something out loud pretty much guaranteed that he would try his hardest to make it happen, even if it was the impossible. Empty words that were said to ease the pain meant more right now than even the most sincere response of honesty.

Right now, that was all they had. It had to be enough.

* * *

To be continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last week was...messed up. So, two chapters this week, then maybe I'll remember what needs to be updated when.


	3. Chapter 3

Tapping his fingers in indecision, Seto stared at the five white envelopes sitting in front of him. Without addresses, they couldn't be sent through the post, which meant that he would have to deliver them personally. Well, he didn't have to do it personally, but wasn't that the expectation when someone invited a 'friend' to an event? He scowled and, for the fifth time in as many minutes, thought about shredding the rather innocent pieces of paper into the smallest bits of scrap he possibly could before dumping it all into the wastebasket. Or maybe he should burn them. Then there would no evidence what so ever of this serious lapse in his judgment.

In the last week, he'd managed to talk himself into and out of inviting Yugi and assorted compatriots to the White Gala no less than twenty-two times. The longest his confidence in one particular course of action had lasted was half a day. The shortest turn around took approximately five minutes. All the other invitations had been sent out already, neatly written and addressed by a calligraphy group he kept on staff specifically to handle invitations such as these. There weren't many changes year to year, so even though everything was hand written, the process could be easily started six months in advance. Now, with the event barely two months away, these were the only five he had neither an acceptance nor a declination for. These five that he had ordered drawn up the morning after a poor night of sleep because of a guilty conscience.

He had thought long and hard about what Mokuba had said, and much to his chagrin, realized his brother was right in more ways than he wanted to think about. This isn't what he'd promised either of them when their parents had died, or even when they'd first been adopted. And he knew he had Yugi to thank for the second chance. The problem was he didn't know how to be anything other than the CEO he'd been trained as anymore. To confound matters more, it had already been proven that Mokuba wasn't a strong enough influence to make sure the company stayed in check.

Which is where the 'friends' were supposed to come in. If anyone could understand the stress, pressure, and need for the near split personality within him, it would be the five names in front of him. Ryou and Yugi on a more personal level to be sure, but Jounouchi, Honda, and Anzu had all proven their ability to put up with it. They could accept thousand year old spirits as friends. They could accept people who had manipulated them and tried to kill them. If they could accept the ruthless businessman he was to the rest of the world, would 'Seto' really be that much harder?

Or, more to the point, was he willing to give them the chance? The more he thought about it, the nicer the whole prospect sounded: having people around him he could honestly trust, with a trust that was freely given, not coerced or bought. It also scared the hell out of him, making his stomach clenched in agitation. For as many benefits this could have, he was too cynical to have much hope in a fairy tale ending. Rather, the whole thing seemed to have a better chance of ending in catastrophic failure. As much as he loathed it, Gozaburo's influence still ran too deep, and probably always would. If this didn't work out, everything he'd been taught would only be reinforced. It would probably destroy all hope of normalcy in his life, not that he would know what to do with 'normal' anyway.

He was disturbed from his thoughts by a slight shift in the silence. "Stop hovering at the door, imp." His little brother gave him a sheepish grin as he slowly shuffled into the room. Seto sat back in his chair and opened his arms in invitation.

"You'll be fine, nii-sama," Mokuba said as he curled into his brother's lap. "Just…be nice. Give it a chance. They're not going to ridicule you or throw it in your face." The boy yawned. "And if they do, I give you permission to beat them up."

" _You_ give _me_ permission to beat them up, huh?" Seto asked, poking his younger brother in the ribs, thankful for the distraction. Mokuba giggled and squirmed. "Well, it's nice to know I have your _permission_ to take them down a peg or three, but I think you're a little late."

"Nii-sama!" Mokuba squealed, trying to grab the hands that were tickling him. "Mou! Stop already! I-ACK! I was just-quit it! Nii~sama!" Chuckling, Seto stopped torturing the poor boy. Mokuba collapsed bonelessly in his lap, gasping for breath. After a calming down a bit, he glared at the still smirking face of his older brother. "See if I try to be all encouraging and supportive and helpful ever again! Here I come, trying to make you feel better, and you attack me!"

"It's not my fault you're ticklish," Seto defended.

Mokuba scowled. "Mou!"

"Yes, mou. Sorry, mou. Anything else I can do for you, mou?"

"Stop making fun of me!"

This time, Seto actually laughed. "Hai, hai." He hugged Mokuba, feeling some of his anxiety melt away. "Thank you."

"Well someone's got to keep you in line."

"Does that mean I'm out of line somewhere?"

Mokuba sat back with a serious look on his face. Then he reached forward and adjusted the way Seto was holding his head. His hair was messed with slightly and his shirt collar was straightened. "There. Now you're in line again."

"Thank you. Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" His question was answered with a sheepish grin. "Bed, imp."

"Hai~!" Mokuba slid off his lap and bounded out of the study. Seto paused in his following, looking back to the envelopes still sitting on his desk. Before he could rethink it _again_ , he scooped them all up in hand and dropped them into his school bag. If careful planning was only going to take him around in circles, then he needed to stop thinking and simply react. It was shaky ground at best to be on, but nothing would ever come from hesitating. And since he currently held all the cards in this little game, it was up to him to make the first move. All he needed now was to decided when and where.

***

"Here."

The group started as Kaiba dropped something on the desk everyone was crowded around for lunch. Without waiting for any sort of acknowledgment, identifying what he had just left them or why, he turned on his heel and walked away. There were a few muttered curses and more than a few questions about sanity before attention truly focused on what had been left behind. Five nondescript envelopes laid before them, each enscribed with a name in beautiful calligraphy. It was only then that the obvious question came up.

"What the hell is it?"

While Jounouchi, Honda & Anzu argued back and forth, Ryou carefully sorted through the envelopes, passing them out to their respective recipients before opening the one marked with his name. He blinked when he saw a second envelope in the first, this one sealed with wax and stamped with the Kaiba Corp logo. He searched in his bag for a moment before retrieving a small penknife, which he used to carefully pry up the blue wax seal. Inside the second envelope was a dark blue card with shiny silver scripting in the same hand that had written on the outside.

"We've been invited to the White Gala," he said, still staring at the card.

His soft voice killed all conversation.

Jounouchi got his wits back first. "We've what?"

"'Your presence has been requested at the behest of the President and CEO, Kaiba Seto, to attend Kaiba Corporation's premier event, the White Gala, to celebrate another successful year and to thank contributing members of the community for all their hard work and support, on the night of December 23rd, at Kaiba Corporation Headquarters in Domino, starting at 20:00. R.S.V.P. or declination must be made by the 15th of November. Lodging and travel arrangements can be made upon request.'" Ryou took a deep breath and then flushed when he noticed everyone staring at him. "What? That's what it says…"

"Why the hell would Kaiba invite us to the White Gala?" Honda asked. "Saying he hates our guts is an understatement. This has to be a trick or something."

"But its all hand done," Anzu said, now inspecting her own invitation. "Hiring calligraphers is expensive. This paper, too. And I've never seen silver calligraphy ink before..."

"The man built an entire structure dedicated to our deaths," Honda retorted. "This is probably pocket change."

"The Death-T was something different," Yugi said. "Real attractions that were made to be more difficult for us…for me. The plans for Kaiba Land always included the Space Station and the Haunted House. They where just modified before the grand opening."

"I don't know," Jounouchi muttered, turning the envelope over in his hands. "I'll be the first to say I don't like him and the last one to ever trust him, but this kinda thin' doesn't fit with his whole 'I am God and you're dirt under my shoe' persona." He shrugged, dropping the unopened envelope back onto the desk.

"I think you're all being too paranoid," Otogi said calmly. "You're still friends with Ryou, me, and Malik. Has Kaiba really done any worse?" He shrugged at the mixture of stares he received. "Maybe this is his way of trying to make it up."

"I'd go if I could," Ryou sighed. "But as soon as tests are over, I'm going back to see my family. I'll be gone all winter break."

"I'm gonna be gone, too. Big family reunion my parent's would kill me if I tried to miss," Honda said. He suddenly frowned and counted out the invitations. "Hey, there's only five here. Why didn't Otogi get one?"

"I did," he said with a smile. "About two weeks ago in the mail, actually. I've already declined. There's a business meeting I have to attend in Tokyo that week."

"So that's why you're so gung-ho on the rest of us accepting. You want us to spy for you or something?"

"Not in the least. The point I'm trying to make is that the Gala is important to him and we were important enough to invite. Doesn't that mean we should give him the benefit of the doubt?" Everyone became silent, looking back down at the neat writing.

"Otogi's right," Anzu finally said. "I don't know what it means or why he did it, but these invitations are still in our hands. We should be careful, but we should accept, too."

"What do you think, Jounouchi-kun?" Yugi asked.

The blond leaned back in his chair and considered the ceiling for a long moment. "I think the only way we're gonna know for certain is if we ask. If his reply doesn't reek of forced sincerity, then yeah, why not?" He slammed his palms down on the desk and jumped to his feet. "Anyone got a clue where he disappears to durin' lunch?"

***

"You're such an asshole, ya know that?"

Kaiba took a deep breath and held it so that he didn't say anything. And oh, whatever powers that may be, he wanted to turn around and tell the loud mouth blond off. But he had to try for Mokuba, and that was the only thing that kept his tongue in check. He turned from the window he'd been staring out of to face Jounouchi and Yugi. He had half a guess they were here to ask him about the invitations. He couldn't help but want to kick himself for being stupid enough to go through with delivering them. At least, that was the reason he consoled himself with when he answered.

"Full moon's next week. Go baying somewhere else."

"What the hell's up with these?" Jounouchi asked, completely unfazed, holding up his invitation.

"Did you even bother to read it before tracking me down?"

"We're just confused, Kaiba-kun," Yugi stepped in, literally put himself between the two adversaries. "You've said more than once that you want nothing to do with us and…and we've been rivals for so long… An invitation to the White Gala seems really… Abrupt."

All of the little prepared responses Kaiba had been building in his head, waiting for this moment, to answer these questions, vanished into thin air. He couldn't think of a single thing to say that would be reassuring, yet not cliché or sappy. He wasn't too keen on the idea of them being there in the first place, but if he said that, then he'd be accused of not trying hard enough. So he went back to what he knew: diversion. In this case, starting a fight with Jounouchi.

"Why am I an asshole for inviting you?"

"Because you don't just do somethin' like that and expect others to follow along behind ya, all quiet and compliant. If you wanted to invite us, then you should've said somethin' instead of throwin' the invitations down and walkin' away! And if this is just another way of tryin' to humiliate us-"

"I don't spend that kind of money on jokes," Kaiba cut in. "And if I was really dedicated to tearing your world apart, I can think of a hundred different places that would be more suitable than a black tie affair. The only person who's going to humiliate you is yourself." He directed his attention back to Yugi. "If you're worried about the legitimacy of the invitations, don't be. That's the reason I hand delivered them to you instead of posting them in the mail with the others."

"Is there going to be alcohol there?" was the next question, a lot quieter than the previous ones.

Kaiba blinked at Jounouchi, trying to make sure he heard correctly. What kind of dumb question was that? "Of course there'll be alcohol. This is a high society event, which means wine and champagne at the least. What else to you expect me to serve to foreign investors and stockholders? Soda?"

"Well, there's sparkling water, and flavored water, gods forbid _regular_ water, fruit juice, sherbet punch…" The list that spouted from Jounouchi's mouth made Kaiba stare. It just kept going and going. And while Kaiba didn't drink much himself (though he did appreciate that good, stiff drink before or after a long, hard day, or maybe some wine with dinner), even he didn't know that many alternatives to turn to after his designated one glass. He finally managed to snap out of the weird alternate dimension he'd been thrust into when Jounouchi said "May bowl."

"That has champagne in it, idiot," he interrupted.

"Yeah, well," the blond looked flustered, "it tastes just fine without it. And if you really need the fizz, lemon-lime soda works too."

Kaiba took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew this had been a bad idea. He _knew_ it, and yet he'd still let Mokuba talk him into inviting the freak squad. Nothing but trouble ever came from associating with them and he had known _that_ since their first conversation. "I'm not going to ask how you know that. In fact, I don't even care. If it's really that much of a problem, consider the invitation revoked."

"Kaiba-kun, you don't—"

"Listen here, you arrogant prick," Jounouchi snarled. "The point of an invitation is to ask someone if they want to attend. That means they have the right to refuse if they don't want to go, for whatever reason, and not have to explain themselves."

"All this does is reaffirm the fact that you have no clue about what you're talking about," Kaiba countered. "These invitations are a trivial formality that go out to ensure that nothing is scheduled in on those dates. And since I highly doubt you have anything better to do that night, you have no reason to refuse. I can see it was waste of my time to think you could possibly behave yourself for one night out of courtesy to my brother. I'll make sure never to make the same mistake again."

All other attempts at conversation were ignored as Kaiba brushed past them and walked away. He didn't have time for this. He didn't have time for _them_ , or their antics, or their stupidity. Mokuba had insisted that all he needed to do was be nice, and he had been…sort of. Mostly. For him, at least. The White Gala was the most important showcase Kaiba Corporation hosted. Everyone who was important to the company, from stockholders, to investors (potential and otherwise), and even the scouts for rival gaming companies, showed up to this. It made all other gaming conventions look like a children's circus. If Yugi and company were too stupid to recognize that an invitation to that was his way of being nice, then fuck being nice. He hadn't needed friends before, and he sure as hell didn't need them now, especially if this was how they were going—

"Oh for fuck's sake, will you hang on a minute?" Someone grabbed his wrist and pulled back. Kaiba turned with the pull, fist automatically rising and lashing out at the person who had dared grab him. Jounouchi caught the blow, stopping it before it could do any damage. They glared at each other for a long minute, long enough for Kaiba to consider five other ways to injure the blond without using his hands. But before he could consider much else, Jounouchi released his grip and stepped back with a sigh. "There's a history of alcoholism in my family, so don't take out your bad attitude on the others, okay?"

The rest of his body language screamed defiance, tensed like it was ready to start a fight, but Jounouchi was looking past Kaiba's face, over his shoulder, or down at his chest. Anywhere but in the eye. It was unusual behavior, more expected out of employees than his classmate, who had never looked away before during an argument. A closer inspection revealed a faint pinking in the blond's cheeks. Kaiba was tempted to laugh and say that it wasn't any surprise he came from an alcoholic family and that ninety percent of those attending were also alcoholics by their very nature as businessmen, but the words never made it past the thinking stage. Instead, he folded his arms across his chest and said, "What about it?"

Jounouchi let out a breath and started fidgeting. "Look, I can't even be in the same room as the stuff. It doesn't matter what it is, I just…I can't, okay? We're not exactly heavyweights and we're definitely not the giggly, happy kind, either. Even I know how important the White Gala is…I wouldn't want to fuck up your big night." As he talked, the blush became more pronounced, his voice grew softer, and his gaze fell to the floor.

It was something Kaiba realized he'd never considered, that the refusal was to save face and not a slap in the face. He relaxed some, arms dropping. "Personal experience?" he asked lightly, knowing it was cruel to imply such things, but this shy, almost passive Jounouchi made him feel uncomfortable.

"No! And I plan on keepin' it that way!" The force and vehemence behind the statement, coupled with the instant change in posture was enough to make Kaiba step back. Anger, rage, hate, and maybe even a little fear rolled off Jounouchi, who once again stood like a coiled snake, ready to strike the moment he was pushed too far. And for the first time in a long time, Kaiba wasn't sure he could handle his classmate if he did push too far.

Instead, he straightened up and schooled his expression, locking the interesting details of this conversation into his memory. "If you've never—"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Then I reserve the right to talk about it later. As for the Gala, I assure you that there will be plenty of other things there to drink during the course of the night. And I am expecting all of you to show up, even if I have to send my guards to drag your ass out and dress you."

"Kaiba—"

"No is not an acceptable answer. And neither is whining about what might be. If you don't drink and don't plan on drinking, then you won't. Any other excuse you want me to shoot down or can we get on with this?" Jounouchi remained quiet. "Good. If you have problems with attire or transportation, call my secretaries. I will see you then."

***

As usual, Kaiba left no room for argument. He just came in, said what he wanted, and fuck the rest. Jounouchi sighed, only half heartedly resisting the urge to put his fist, and maybe his head, through the nearest wall. Why couldn't Kaiba just listen to him for once? If there was one thing his life had taught him, it was to stay as far away from temptation as possible. Just the very thought of being stuck in a hall with the kind of people Kaiba would associate with was enough to send shivers down his spine. He wasn't that kind of a person; he wasn't even someone who thought those kinds of things were fun. And all that trying to explain had done was lock him in a corner. Was there ever going to be a time when he'd be the one walking away from the conversation on top?

It was only when Yugi tugged at his sleeve that he gave up on the circular wondering of his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Jounouchi-kun. If I hadn't—"

"Just…stop," was the response, the blond's hand coming to rest on Yugi's head. "You've got nothing to apologize for, so don't, 'kay? It's not your fault Kaiba's a arrogant jerk and my…" He swallowed heavily. "He wants us there. All of us. And to call his secretary if we've got problems with findin' suits or somethin'."

"Are you sure you want to go?"

As tempting as it was to have Kaiba's personal help try to drag him to the party… "Yeah, I'll be there. Got nowhere else to be."

Yugi suddenly threw himself forward, arms wrapping tightly around Jounouchi's chest. "This will be good for you, Jounouchi-kun, I know it."

The blond paused for a moment before returning the hug just as tight. "I wish I had your confidence."

The other smiled up brightly at him. "You don't need my confidence. You've got more than enough all by yourself. And if you still need mine, I'll be there. I'll always be there."

* * *

To be continued.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another assumption: Domino is located on the south eastern side of Japan. Specifically, somewhere along the coastal lines of either the Shizuoka or Aichi Prefectures. I had the chance to go to Nagoya, Kyoto, and Tokyo several years ago on a school trip, with us actually spending a full week in Nagoya. Therefore, I'm using that experience to write about locations that are appearing in the story. But more than that, the city structure, general culture, and proximity to the ocean is what really makes me feel that this is the correct area a fictional town could thrive.

"Here."

Jounouchi blinked at the sparkling amber liquid that was being handed to him. Then he blinked at the one who was handing it to him. "What is it?"

"Your May Bowl," Kaiba said dryly, "sans alcohol. Sparkling cider works better than lemon-lime soda, by the way."

"Uh, thanks." Awkwardly, he accepted the glass before turning back to the window he'd been staring out of for the last hour. The enclosed observation deck was the quietest place in the hall. Most people stayed away because the area wasn't very warm, the large panels of glass allowing the cold winter night to seep through. It did offer one of the best views of Domino there was, though, which was the real reason Jounouchi was hovering there. Seeing the city light up the night sky, staining the low clouds various colors, the soft fall of snow. It was absolutely enchanting for some reason.

The end of the year had come fast. With the end of October came the cold of winter, leaving its frosty mark on everything the wind touched. As if spurred on by the shift in seasons, the homework load became heavier as students tried to catch up before exams, keeping everyone indoors more than normal. When the first snowflakes began to fall, everyone had been too busy with tests to notice. Domino was covered in almost five inches of snow before school was over for the winter, a new record for the city. They had seen Ryou off the next day with warm hugs and early presents, envious of the trip while sympathetic for the long hours of travel ahead. Otogi had been the next one to leave, traveling by train to Nagoya to catch the shinkansen to Tokyo. Having left just that morning, Honda and his family would currently be somewhere near Shizuoka.

In a way, Jounouchi envied their ability to skip out. The formal suit he was in was uncomfortable and he couldn't understand how people managed to wear them for any length of time. Give him jeans and t-shirt any day. But, because it was only the three of them actually attending, Anzu had proclaimed that she would make them presentable for the night. Of course, she had said this right in front of Yugi's mother, who had jumped at the chance to dress both boys up. He didn't understand why there was so much fuss and squealing involved in an outfit he didn't even own for an event he was never, _ever_ , going to attend again. It had to be a girl-thing, since some of the things he'd seen the other women wandering around in looked about three times more uncomfortable and would never worn in broad daylight.

Granted, he was probably being more than a little unfair considering how badly he didn't want to be there right then. And it had been nice to be complimented on his looks even if he thought he looked ridiculous.

He did have to give Kaiba one thing, though: the man never overlooked a detail. True, he practically ate, slept, and breathed for his company, and therefore a party hosted by said company would no doubt be some grandiose and expensive affair, but what he walked into was far beyond what he had imagined. Specially dedicated staff showed everyone through the building to the appropriate elevators and down the correct halls. The room itself was huge, with a glass enclosed second level balcony. There was plenty of the typical blue and white everyone had come to associate with Kaiba, but colour still exploded from _everywhere_. Flowers, candles, lights, cloth, mirrors, you name it and it was probably there, somehow managing to be festive without being overwhelming or gaudy. There was sitting room, eating room, standing room and even room to dance. It didn't seem like it should all fit. It didn't feel like the room was that big.

For whatever reason, Kaiba leaned against the railing with him, a glass in his own hand, and made a small noise that sounded suspiciously like a sigh. Jounouchi looked over at him (Kaiba didn't sigh) and noticed how tired the other looked. Without the perpetual frown or look of forced dispassion on his face, he looked almost five years younger, more like the teenager he was supposed to be. The dark blue eyes that were focused intently on the scenery outside didn't seem as cold, either. In fact, it looked like Kaiba was trying to steel himself before jumping back into the fray. They stood in silence for a while. "Man, are you sure you should be ditchin' your own party?" Jounouchi asked before he really thought about the question.

Though he didn't look away from the window, Kaiba's lips twitched into a slight smile. "I hate social functions," he said rather bluntly. "Bunch of blood-thirsty sharks, all of them, pandering and fawning and making absolute idiots out of themselves because they think it will get them something. It makes me sick, really."

"Then why throw a party for them?"

"Because it's good business. It makes them feel important. And no, it doesn't make any sense to me, either."

For a while, Jounouchi could only stare, feeling confused. This… this was weird. They'd been talking for a few minutes now in an almost friendly way…and nothing had happened. No insults, no threats. Just a normal, if not somewhat stilted, conversation. He hadn't thought it really possible for them to have a normal conversation. Kaiba's eyes finally turned from the window and focused their full attention on Jounouchi, who quickly jerked his head around. He didn't know what difference it would make if he got caught staring or not, but suddenly it really mattered that he _not_ get caught.

"What about you? I would have thought you'd be all over an event like this."

"I don't like social things, either." He could see Kaiba's disbelieving look out of the corner of his eye. "I don't like lots of people I don't know," he amended with a sigh. "Makes me feel like I'm bein' backed into a corner, and I get real fidgety and anxious. Which means I get loud and violent. Which is why I'm here and not out there."

"Sounds like I should be grateful. But between the two of us, I'd pay you to beat the living shit out of a few of them."

"Is that why you asked me to come?" Jounouchi demanded. "To see how long it'd take before I snapped?"

"I asked you to come because I can't say no to Mokuba." Kaiba made a noise, something between a stifled gasp and a snort, turning his back to the window. He stared into his drink. "He's got this insane idea that I work too much."

"He's right. You do work too much. Anyone who spends that much time attached to a computer has serious psycho issues."

"I don't doubt," Kaiba grumbled under his breath. "And for your information, I find coding to be a relaxing exercise. Some people read, some write. Mokuba plays video games. I code." In a defiant move, he drained his glass in a single gulp. "Besides, once you learn the right language, computers do whatever you ask of them. They won't lie, they don't steal behind your back, and they don't have ulterior motives. Programs won't try to slit your throat in your sleep. Why the hell would anyone want anything else?"

"But what do you do when the computer shuts off?" Jounouchi asked quietly. "Last time I checked, computers can't tell you that everythin's gonna be all right. They can't tell you it's okay to feel what you're feelin' with just a look. They don't have a heartbeat that reminds you, you got one, too. They don't understand that sometimes you gotta do the wrong thing to get the right outcome."

The awkward silence came back with a vengeance, neither one of them sure what to say anymore. Jounouchi took the time to sip at the drink Kaiba had brought him, idly playing with the strawberry slice that had been scooped into the glass with the rest of the liquid. Kaiba was right; sparkling cider did work better. There wasn't any sort of sharp, carbonated after-taste and the citrus didn't override the flavor of the strawberries. It suddenly dawned on him how expensive this drink had to be, to get such nicely colored and flavorful strawberries in the middle of winter. And then he remembered Kaiba had called it _his_ May Bowl. He could feel a blush rising to his cheeks. There was no way the CEO of Kaiba Corp. had gone out of his way to make this drink for him. Just no way. It was all in his head and he was just trying to make something out of nothing…wasn't he?

"Uh…Kaiba…" Jounouchi felt the words die in his throat as Kaiba's full attention fell on him once more. Damn it, why was the blush getting worse? When had it gotten so damn unnerving to have Kaiba Seto's undivided attention? "Why did Mokuba want to invite us?" he finally managed to say, struggling to ignore how hot his face felt.

If Kaiba noticed anything unusual, he didn't comment on it. Rather, he looked at Jounouchi for a long moment before taking a deep breath and turning back to the windows. "He wants me to have a more normal life. I don't know what the hell 'normal' is, but he seems to think my best bet lies with you and Yugi and the rest of your entourage. He seems to think we can all be friends."

Jounouchi almost had to do a double-take. Kaiba looked…vulnerable. His head was resting against the glass, eyes shut, like he was awaiting some blow to come. Like he didn't even have the energy to dodge it, whatever 'it' was. The blond was use to seeing Kaiba as the cold pinnacle, the one that had risen above the rest to stand alone on the mountaintop as the best of the best. Now he just looked alone.

Everyone thought it was great that he was only seventeen and the leader of one of the most widely known companies in the world, one of the best gamers in Japan and one of the richest people to ever live. But for the first time, Jounouchi wondered if it really was all that great. He went through a lot of shit in his daily life, had worked hard to be where he was now, but the world still looked at him like he was a kid. He could still complain about teachers and homework and skip class for a nap on the roof or beg off a night's work to go out with friends. Kaiba couldn't do that. Had he even had that chance?

Without thinking about it, Jounouchi brushed against Kaiba's shoulder. The move brought him within the boundary where insults usually turned to fists. Closer even, now that they were standing shoulder to shoulder. He could tell when Kaiba opened his eyes and turned to watch him, but he made sure to keep his own eyes glued to the falling snow. Surprisingly enough, Kaiba didn't move away. "Your attitude sucks," Jounouchi finally said, "but you're not a bad guy."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

He groaned. He so should have known better… "Look, all I'm sayin' is-"

A scream from the ballroom made both of them straighten and turn. "Anzu…" Jounouchi shoved his glass back into Kaiba's hands as he took off back into the other room. It didn't take long to find the girl from his vantage point on the second floor. She and Yugi were surrounded by a small group of people. Most were acting as though nothing had happened. Running around the side, he jumped the railing and forced his way through the crowd. Anzu had her back against the wall, arms circled protectively around herself. Yugi was picking himself off the ground, stubbornly keeping himself between Anzu and the very drunk man in front of him.

"I just want a dance," the man slurred. At least, that's what Jounouchi guessed he was trying to say. It was really hard to distinguish individual words. He wasn't as old as most of the people there, but he was definitely old enough to drink. A playboy stereotype is ever there was one. His dark brown hair was just long enough to be pulled into a short ponytail, showing off diamond studs in his ears. Each of his fingers bore some ridiculously large stone in a gaudy gold setup. The look was about ten years too young for his face, but there was no doubt in Jounouchi's mind that it was muscle filling out the rest of the black suit.

"And she said no," Yugi replied defiantly. Jounouchi felt a moment of pride seeing his friend standing his ground like that. But watching the other man raise a fist cut that moment short. He slipped in between the two before anything else could happen.

"Is somethin' wrong?" he asked, catching Yugi's eye. Yugi nodded slightly and backed down.

"None of your business," was the response. Jounouchi had to bite his tongue as the smell of alcohol washed over his face. It wasn't the scent of hard liquor or bad beer, more likely the wine that was being served. He breathed slowly, refusing to look or feel disgusted. He refused to feel anything except the beat of his own heart and the tingle of adrenaline on his nerves.

"You made her scream. That makes it my business. Didn't your mama ever tell you it's not nice to make girls cry?" he asked lightly. "You should apologize."

"And who the fuck are you? Her guardian?"

"Nope, that's him." Jounouchi jerked a thumb towards Yugi with a slight smile. "I'm his guardian."

"Then fuck off. This doesn't concern you." He made as if to go around Jounouchi, but the blond moved with him.

"I'm gonna tell you this once; go harass someone else. She's not interested in you, and frankly, I'd be surprised if anyone was, the way you reek."

He saw the blow coming like it was in slow motion. For drunk people, he supposed it was. He watched the fist come towards his face, making no attempt to dodge or parry the attack. He merely held his breath, counting down the seconds to impact. Right before the gilded knuckles connected with his cheek, he forced the breath out, which in turn forced all the muscles in his neck to relax. His head moved easily with the blow, taking most of the damage out of the strike. It did nothing to lessen the pain as the jewels scraped against his skin, or the impact pressure on his cheekbone, but it did minimize the extent of the damage to just his face.

The other man was thrown off balance by the force of his swing. Jounouchi caught the offending arm, gripping the wrist tightly, digging his fingers into the soft tendons on the inside of the wrist. Then he wrenched the arm backwards, using a pressure hold to lock the appendage up. There was surprise and pain on the drunk man's face, but that didn't stop Jounouchi from twisting his free hand into the man's shirt until the collar became almost too tight and dragging him face to face.

"If you ever touch me again, I'll break every bone in your arm," he said calmly, voice even and without any trace of emotion. "Come near my friends again, and I'll break every fuckin' bone in your body. Now get out of my sight." With a slight push, Jounouchi released the man, who promptly tumbled to the floor in an undignified heap. He now had exactly five seconds to move before Jounouchi was going to 'help' him move…

"What seems to be the problem?"

The blond blinked out of his anger-induced tunnel vision. He bit his tongue again and refused to look at Kaiba, now flanked by security. Shit, he'd blown it big time. After all the promises to himself, he'd still gotten in a fight. And not just any fight, no. He'd royally fucked himself by getting into a fight with one of the high standing guests at the biggest event Domino saw, period. He could just see the argument and subsequent ejection from the party coming. He could also see the litigation against him for assault and whatever else a good lawyer could come up with. His life was officially over now. He had to be the biggest idiot ever…

"Good," the man on the floor sneered, picking himself up. "I don't know how someone like you got in here, but it's obvious you don't belong here. Security, throw this piece of trash out." Everyone was surprised when the two guards beside Kaiba didn't even flinch. Kaiba himself could have been a statue standing between them. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

An evil smile curled across Kaiba's face. "You heard him. Throw the trash out."

The security guards nodded their understanding and walked briskly over to the drunk man, each taking an arm in hand. "Sir, if you'll come with us…"

"What is the meaning of this?" the man demanded. "I was assaulted by that thug!"

"You assaulted him first," Kaiba said calmly. "That 'thug' also happens to be the amateur player who won second place in Duelist Kingdom and placed in the final four for Battle City, Jounouchi Katsuya. And the girl you tried to assault is the girlfriend of one of the best gamers on the planet, Mutoh Yugi. In case your standing against them isn't clear enough, allow me to reiterate: throw the trash out."

Each of the guards fairly picked the sputtering man up and carried him towards the exits. "You're going to regret this!" the man wailed. "Our family stood by this company when you switched directions! We took a gamble on your abilities when no one else dared! And this is how you treat us!" The rest was lost as the doors closed behind them and the party picked back up. Kaiba turned to a third guard who was standing behind him, giving some other instruction that couldn't be heard. The guard nodded and disappeared into the crowd of black clad bodies. Then Kaiba's intent gaze focused on Yugi and Anzu.

Before he could ask anything, Yugi spoke up. "We're fine, Kaiba-kun, though you'll have to forgive us for wanting to leave now."

"A car is pulling around front as we speak to take you all home." He bowed slightly. "I apologize for the incident."

Yugi smiled and bowed in return. "No apology necessary. Thank you for the wonderful evening."

When Kaiba straightened, his attention focused on Jounouchi. "I need to talk to you before you leave. Follow me."

Hesitantly, Jounouchi followed, but only after an encouraging nod from Yugi. They left the ballroom area quietly and walked down a darkened hallway. It felt like he was walking to a death sentence. All he could think about was the different ways he'd screwed up, not only that night, but the rest of his natural life. Now that the adrenaline was gone, he just felt tired and his face was starting to hurt. He really didn't want to argue with anyone right now, especially not Kaiba.

After a couple of turns, Kaiba open a door and gestured for him to walk in. It was pitch black inside, and again he hesitated, but exhaustion overrode the instinct to protect his back. It might not be so bad if Kaiba murdered him there… He flinched when the lights were flicked on. The quiet was starting become unnerving as Kaiba crossed the room in several long strides and removed a first aid kit from its place on a shelf. Morbidly, Jounouchi began thinking about all the things in such a kit that could be used to kill someone. He was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly jumped out of his skin at the loud pop that reverberated through the room.

"It will be cold in a minute," Kaiba said as he handed over the small chemical cold pack. "It doesn't work well, but it should keep most of the swelling down."

"Thanks," Jounouchi mumbled, wincing as the cold surface touched the abused skin. "I'm sorry."

Kaiba looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "What the hell are you sorry for?"

"Um, I just got into a fight with one of your contributors?" he responded, just as confused. He hadn't gotten hit hard enough to lose consciousness, had he? Because this was one fucked up dream he was having...

"Yamato Iori is a simpering sycophant and a bully with delusions of grandeur, as is typical of someone born into money who has never had to work an honest day in his life. Considering the fact his mother is a gold digging bitch and his father is an incompetent fool, I suppose that was the best he could do with himself. He's actually quite high on that list of people I'd pay you to beat."

Now Jounouchi was really confused. "But he said…"

"If this had been between you and Yamato Isshin, then you'd be in the dog house. But if Isshin had been the one to show up, none of this mess would have happened. Iori only gets sent to these things because he'd the eldest grandson. I do business with Isshin, not Iori."

"Saa…" Jounouchi still felt confused about what was going on, but he really didn't have the energy to argue either. He sagged into a chair, adjusting the cold pack. It was quite cool by now and the sting was slowly leaving his face. It felt good. He would have happily zoned out the rest of the world from that point on, except he could feel eyes boring into his body. He looked up to see Kaiba, who hadn't moved from the counter he was leaning against, staring intently at him. "Now what?"

"Do you want to press charges?" he asked.

"Press charges? What for?"

"Assault. I saw the whole thing, as did the guards. You didn't touch him until after he hit you. With those rings he wears, you could probably even get assault with a deadly weapon. They're designed to inflict damage as much as they are to show off."

The thought of pursuing charges himself had never crossed Jounouchi's mind. He frowned and shook his head. "No, I don't want to press charges. The guy was drunk and I've been hit with worse."

He noticed Kaiba's look darken for a moment, but dismissed it as a trick of the fluorescent lighting. "Do you want to press charges against me?"

"Okay, what the fuck are you high on?" Jounouchi demanded. "I don't want to press charges against anyone, let alone you. It wasn't your fault he's a jackass who can't hold his liquor. Besides, how am I supposed to afford the lawyer to go with any sort of lawsuit?"

"I planned, organized, hosted, and financed this event. That means all guests who attended are my responsibility and I am the one held accountable for their actions. And Kaiba Corporation would fund any legal action you decided to take."

How could Kaiba deadpan over something like this? He was talking about taking his own company to court and paying for it at the same time. He had to be dreaming; there was no other explanation for how screwed up this scenario was. Or maybe he had a concussion and his mind was just filling in the gaps with whatever it found convenient. Had that drink Kaiba had handed him earlier been spiked? "Jounouchi, kindly space out later, when our conversation is over. Did you hear anything I just said?"

"Ya know what? This is too fuckin' weird for me." Jounouchi pushed himself back to his feet. "Thanks…for whatever the hell tonight's been…and the ice pack. I'm just gonna go home and die now, if you don't mind." Kaiba didn't move. Accepting that as an agreement their conversation was over, the blond started for the door.

He found himself pausing in the doorway, though. Something still felt unsaid, and if he left now, he knew there would never be another chance. So he shut the door again, and turned to lean against it. "Kaiba… Before we got interrupted, when we were talkin' on the observation deck…" He took a deep breath. "I think you're an arrogant asshole, but…I think Mokuba's right too. You're only as alone as you think you are. Yugi taught me that; that if you really need someone to reach out to, you'll find them. And I think that if…if it was given enough time, um…we could be…friends."

Kaiba remained quiet. It looked like he was searching for something in Jounouchi's face, probably some slip in sincerity or hint of mocking. But lack of sincerity was not something anyone could accuse Jounouchi of having. At length, Kaiba relaxed a little and nodded. "Thank you."

"Yeah, well…" He shifted uncomfortably. "This only means somethin' if you want it. And you're gonna hafta earn it. But if you seriously wanna try, we'll try, too."

"You make it sound like a business arrangement."

"Then at least it's in terms you understand." Jounouchi rocked back on his heels. "Um…Yugi and Anzu are probably waitin' on me. So I'll…I'll see you later, okay?"

"Aah," Kaiba agreed, raising one hand in a stiff gesture of good-bye. Jounouchi returned it with a half wave of his own before slipping out the door.

* * *

To be continued.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for another assumption of mine: Though Kaiba may not believe in any sort of afterlife or such, the memory of his parents, and his promise to take care of Mokuba in their stead, is a driving force in his life which (for the most part) even Gozaburo couldn't destroy. This is one of those things that's better illustrated in the anime than in the manga. I'm thinking specifically of the orphanage sequence you get somewhere in the middle of the Noa arc (I think; don't quote me). I'd also like to once again state that the names and background information about to be presented are completely made up.

"You're not seriously going to invite him, are you?" Honda asked.

Yugi just blinked at his friend. "Why shouldn't I seriously invite Kaiba-kun?"

"Because you know he's going to say no anyway."

"But Jounouchi-kun said-"

"I also qualified the whole thin' by sayin' I thought he was trippin' at the time," Jounouchi interrupted, not looking up from the magazine he was flipping through. "Keep me outta this."

"You two can be so immature," Anzu said. "What's the harm in asking? If he says no, he says no. It's his responsibility to take the initiative, and this way, he can't say we never tried."

"I bet he'd say it just so he wouldn't be wrong," Honda groused. "Besides, I bet he doesn't even believe in all of that stuff anyway."

"And you do?" Jounouchi asked calmly.

"Man, whose side are you on? I thought you hated Kaiba and now you're defending him?"

"For clarification, I hate his holier-than-thou attitude." He sighed, tossing away the magazine. "And I'm not defendin' him. I'm not sayin' forgive and forget 'cause I'm never gonna forget some of the shit he's pulled. But what if this isn't some new mindfuck he's been planning since Battle City? If he's bein' serious, and we all know how well he jokes, then I don't wanna give him the satisfaction of sayin' he knew how worthless the whole thin' was to begin with. If this doesn't work out, I want it to be his problem." He ran an agitated hand through his hair. "Besides, he's already taken a chance on us. The least we can do is take a chance back."

"That…was surprisingly eloquent for you," Honda said after a moment. Jounouchi scowled and flipped a pillow in his friend's face.

"So, we're going to invite him?" Anzu asked. Noncommittal shrugs were her answer. "I'll take that as no objections, then." She handed the phone over to Yugi. "Your party. You get to call."

"Now who's bein' immature?" The blond received two pillows in the face.

Yugi turned his back to his friends while he waited for the line to pick up. He was rather surprised when Kaiba himself answered the phone. "Ah, Kaiba-kun. I was wondering if you and Mokuba-kun were interested in visiting the temple with us on New Year's?"

"Excuse me?"

"Tennokai holds a bonfire festival to celebrate the New Year. They burn all the fortunes that have accumulated, old charms and talismans people have used over the past year. They even have a station where you can write down all the bad things to throw into the fire as well, or a wish and have it tied to the sacred sakura tree."

"…And I want to do this because…?"

"It's a fun way to celebrate. They serve hot drinks and the fire's really big. A lot of the time, it starts snowing, so it's pretty and peaceful…"

"Look. I don't think-" Whatever else was going to be said was lost as Jounouchi took away the phone.

"Ya know, this is why people don't ever invite you out or anythin'." Kaiba's response couldn't be heard. "Yeah, well, that's a lousy excuse. Who cares what you believe? It's a reason to get outta the house for a while." A pause. "Like you got anythin' better to do." A shorter pause. "What? You gotta account for every paperclip the company uses? Even I know CEO's don't do that kind of grunt work. Think of a better one." This silence was lengthier. "Mokuba's almost thirteen years old and there's no school for another week. One more." This time, the group could hear Kaiba's angry voice, even if they couldn't understand the words. Jounouchi gave a bark of laughter. "Okay, now you're just graspin' at straws. Sorry, Kaiba, but you just struck out. Now, I'm gonna hand you back over to Yugi, who's gonna tell you when and where to meet. And if you're not there, I'm gonna kick your ass, okay? Good." He handed the phone back.

"Um, Kaiba-kun…" Yugi stammered. "If you really don't want to go-"

"I'll kick his ass in front of Mokuba and his entire company," Jounouchi shouted as he retook his seat.

There was a sigh from the other side of the line. "Yugi, save us both from a headache and just tell me when and where we're supposed to meet."

"Well, my mom insisted everyone came over for dinner, so they're going to be here around 19:30. If you want, you can join us, otherwise we'll be heading out from the shop at about 23:00. It's about a fifteen minute walk from here."

"I assume that by 'they' you mean Jounouchi, Honda, Masaki, Otogi, and Bakura."

"Ryou-kun's still visiting his family. He said he won't be back until a few days before school starts again. But everyone else, yes."

"Fine. Mokuba and I will be there at 23:00."

"We look forward to seeing you!" Yugi chirped happily. Kaiba grumbled a good-bye and hung up the phone. Yugi's wide smile turned to his friends. "He's coming! He and Mokuba-kun will both be here!"

Honda just stared. "I'll be damned. I didn't think he'd accept."

"Not that he had much choice," Anzu stated in a clipped tone, glaring at Jounouchi. "Threatening to beat him up was not one of your smarter moves."

"Like he's ever paid attention to any spoken threat I've given him," Jounouchi pointed out with a roll of his eyes. "If I had my hand around his throat and was knockin' his teeth in, then you could complain about forced coercion."

"That's not the point!"

"No, the point is Kaiba's not special. He may think he is, but he's not. I'm not gonna treat him any different than anyone else here. Which means if he pisses me off, I'm gonna yell at him. If he's bein' stupid, then I'm gonna tell him off. If he needs help with somethin', I'll be the first one in line, just like I'll be the first one to give him a swift kick in the ass if he needs that, too. That's what it means be friends with me. He doesn't like, he can take a long walk off a short pier, for all I care."

Yugi smiled as Jounouchi and Anzu continued to argue. He didn't really care what had prompted his stand-offish classmate to join them, he as simply happy Kaiba had. If anyone had asked, that would be reason he gave for the happy grin. But the real reason was Jounouchi and what he had said about his treatment of Kaiba. It was the way he and Yugi had started, with teasing and arguing. He and Honda had physically beaten each other up a few times before becoming friends. It was the same way he'd been treating Kaiba since they had all met.

_Which means, Jounouchi-kun, you've been his friend longer than anyone…even if none of us ever realized it._

_***  
_

Working thing for Kaiba Corp during the last week of December and the first week of January was a completely arbitrary ordeal, wholly dependent upon the individual and their workload. If a project needed to be done, then you were expected to come in and work on it. If you were between projects, or could afford to put it on hold for a few days, then you need not make an appearance. The first two weeks in July were the same. The only group that was expected to be there regardless was security and Seto took great pains to make sure those who worked in December had July off.

As for himself, Seto worked primarily from home those two weeks, usually on the remains of other paperwork that had been sitting around for one reason or another. The only two days he didn't touch paperwork or his laptop was December 30th and 31st, and that was mostly because he was not in Domino during that time.

On the morning of the 30th, he and Mokuba climbed into a rather non-descript car with an overnight bag and as few electronic devices as possible. Seto himself would drive, as all trappings of the Kaiba name were left behind. The better part of the day was spent driving in a somber silence along the coastline to Nagoya. After lunch and a little time to stretch their legs, they boarded a train for Owari-Seto. There was nothing really that stopped them from driving the full way, but somehow, it felt more appropriate to return the same way they had left. And with only one other stop on the line, the train was never full.

Once they arrived in Seto City, the two walked the half dozen blocks to the inn they always stayed at. The traditional rooms were an expensive, although well deserved retreat from European thoughts on luxury. When the room was satisfactory, they went back out onto the streets to admire the crafts that made Owari-Seto famous – pottery. As was to be expected of such a place, most of the wares were pots and cups, plates and vases. But there was a plethora of other things, such as statuettes, dolls, and insane number and variety of beckoning cats, chopstick holders and wind chimes. They spent a lot of time wandering from one store to the next, though it wasn't the mainstream, expensive things they were looking for. In fact, the focus of their attention was on the tiny knickknack things the potters created out of leftover bits of clay. It was an amazing amount of detail placed in an object no bigger than a fingernail, though it showcased the dedication of the artisan, who obviously put it together with the same care and precision as any larger piece. Only when they had found nearly a dozen or so such pieces did they turn their attention to dinner and how to spend the rest of their night.

The morning of the 31st saw a late breakfast before a long walk up one of the many hills in the area. A monk would greet them as they entered the only Buddhist temple in the area. With few words, the brothers would be lead through the massive cemetery to a small family stone on the far side. The dead of winter wasn't the most convenient time to care for a gravestone, but Seto also refused to spend his brother's birthday doing it.

Not that there was much to do anyway. The primary task of care was left to the well-compensated monks who called the temple home. The motions were gone through anyway. Snow was carefully brushed away. Any loose debris was removed. Fresh offering of rice and sake were left in neat little bowls. Incense was burnt. The final thing they did was line up the little pottery leftovers they had bought the day before in front of the offerings.

"I miss them," Mokuba said softly when all was said and done.

Seto crouched down and hugged his brother tightly. "I know. I do, too."

"I feel kind of silly. We got them frogs last year."

"It's okay. Mom liked frogs."

"Which one's hers again?" Seto reached out to touch a name. "Midori…" Mokuba reached out and touched the one next to it. "Daisuke… I wish I could remember them better…" Bright blue eyes turned to their siblings. "What do you remember of them?"

"Not much. Mom's voice singing. How big dad's hands were. Dad always said you look like her."

"And you look like him." The younger boy giggled. "So much for your perfect memory." Seto gave him a stern look that only caused more giggles. Mokuba grinned and hugged his older brother. "But I love you…"

"I love you, too, imp." He ruffled the black hair. "Now go thank the monks. If we're going to be sociable tonight, we need to get going."

While his brother took off to do as he was told, Seto hesitated in front of the grave. He wasn't really given to drawn-out good-byes, or to talking to people who obviously couldn't hear him. Given the practicality of his upbringing, life after death, spirits, and other such things didn't exist and were merely the fabrications of a deranged mind. Dealing with Yugi's other and the fallout from that had certainly loosened that mind set, but he was still far from being a 'true believer.' Still, all of that didn't stop him from placing his hand against the marker and whispering, "I'll try harder," to the names under his palm.

Letting his eyes sweep over the stone once more, he focused intently on the family name, trying to burn it into memory. Then he walked away. It was a futile effort anyway. He was a Kaiba now. Hatakeda Seto no longer existed.

***

At precisely 23:00, Kaiba and Mokuba appeared in front of the Kame Game Shop, the younger brother's greeting much more enthusiastic than the elder's. Everyone was already outside, and from the look of things, had been engaged in a rather heated snowball fight. While Anzu told off Honda and Jounouchi for trying to stuff snow down the back of her shirt, Yugi disappeared into the house to announce their departure. The group honestly tried to keep Kaiba in the conversation as they walked, but one-word answers did little to help carry the flow of the dialogue. After a few blocks, everyone except Yugi started directing questions and comments towards Mokuba. Which was just fine with Kaiba; he was tired after a long afternoon of driving and crowds.

Tennokai was fairly normal compared to other Shinto shrines in large cities. Large trees and bushes tried their best to hide the large office buildings that surrounded the grounds on three sides, making the place look more like a park than a shrine. The mandatory three torii gates before the main shrine was the only indication otherwise. Even in the middle of winter, the grounds had been swept clean and there were quite a few families milling about. Half a dozen shrine maidens were serving steaming drinks while several priests tended a rather large bonfire. Of course, there were charms and fortune sellers, but most of the attention was focused on a small table set up by the first of the three gates.

"So, what's going on here again?" Mokuba asked, glancing around in excitement.

"I'll get drinks," Otogi said. Honda followed to help. While Yugi explained what was happening, Anzu excused herself and walked over to look at the charms. Wanting to try his hand at the paper thing, Mokuba lead the rest of them to the small table.

About halfway through the line, Jounouchi bumped Kaiba's arm. "Stop actin' like it's a funeral," the blond chided softly, so as not to disturb the animated conversation Yugi and Mokuba were engaged in. "Would it kill you to drop the CEO act for two hours?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, I act this way all the time."

"Don't feed me that bullshit. You don't act this way around Mokuba when it's just the two of you, and I know that one for a fact. So do us all a favor and relax before you bust a blood vessel or somethin'."

Kaiba wanted to ask how Jounouchi would know anything about his personal life. However, he lost his chance as a piece of paper and a pen were shoved into his hands. Not waiting to see if he even had a grip on said items, Jounouchi turned back to the table in front of them and began scribbling on his own. "And what exactly do you expect me to do with this?"

"Write something on it, stupid," Jounouchi growled back, not looking up from his work. "Weren't you paying attention to what Yugi said? A wish for the New Year, a regret from the last one, doesn't matter. But at least pretend like you're participating."

Resisting the urge to sigh (he was really too tired for this), Kaiba bent over the table and hastily wrote something down. "Now what?"

"Is it a wish or a regret?"

Kaiba blinked at the paper with his neat calligraphy. "A wish."

"Fold it length wise and twist to the right."

The folding part was easy, but what did 'twist to the right' mean? And what difference did it make anyway? Jounouchi was preoccupied with his fifth piece of paper, so it was Yugi that leaned over and helped twist the paper.

"Twisting to the right helps keep the ends tight when it's tied around the sakura branch," he explained. "Twisting to the left causes it to open up, so the fire has an easier time consuming it." Mokuba proudly held up two, each twisted in the opposite way. Yugi held three; two wishes and one regret. Jounouchi held seven when he was done. Only two of his were wishes.

The four walked past the torii gates to the main shrine, which surrounded one of the biggest and oldest sakura trees Kaiba had ever seen. Though obviously it couldn't carry blossoms in December, the shear number of wishes tied to the branches created a marvelous illusion of such. Priests and maidens stood on ladders, raised scaffolding, and even in the tree itself, tying the thousands of little slips to the branches. They each handed their wishes over and watched as they were passed hand to hand up the tree before finally being secured on a small branch a third of the way up.

Otogi and Honda were waiting with Anzu and hot cider by the bonfire when they returned. They stood in a loose circle, enjoying the heat from the fire and their drinks while talking about nothing in particular. Once again, there was a concerted effort to include the elder Kaiba in the conversation, but it was Mokuba who did most of the talking. They talked until they were warm again before venturing back into the temple proper. There was another fire set up here, through much smaller, set in front of the main pavilion. Off to one side was a large urn with incense burning in it while to the left was the kami bell and offertory box. The group split again, with Honda, Anzu, and Yugi going off to offer incense while Jounouchi explained the finer points of coin tossing.

"The trick is to get it to rebound before dropping in. Like this." Jounouchi took a carefully prepared stance, holding the 5 yen coin between two fingers. With a deep breath, he rocked back on his heels, then forward, flinging the coin in a graceful arc. It clattered against the back board and dropped neatly between the slots. Otogi merely smiled at the display and flipped his coin into the box, watching it dance along the slats before falling in.

"Here," Jounouchi said, dropping another coin into Mokuba's hand. "You try."

"Do I have to toss it like you?"

"No. Just make a wish and toss it."

Mokuba screwed up his face in thought, then tossed the coin underhanded. It skittered across the wooden slats before dropping in. He laughed in wonder and accepted Jounouchi's praise for a good throw. Jounouchi then held up a third coin and cocked an eyebrow at Kaiba. "You wanna try?"

"Can you really afford to give money away like that?"

Jounouchi rolled his eyes, grabbed Kaiba's hand, and pressed the 5 yen piece into his palm. "Just throw the damn coin," he snarled before walking away.

Kaiba stared at the coin in his hand for a moment, then looked down to see Mokuba staring at him. With a shrug, he tossed the coin as well. It hit the wood with a heavy clink before sliding in. Mokuba gave him a wide smile before turning to follow after Jounouchi.

Otogi took the moment to step up beside him. "If you didn't want to come, then you shouldn't have come," he said with a deceptive amount of nonchalance.

"You don't have siblings, do you?" was Kaiba's dry response.

"Somehow, I doubt that Mokuba had that much influence in the decision. But the point remains."

The weary CEO sighed, rubbing his temples with a hand. "I don't see the point."

"Neither do I," Otogi said with a slight smile, rocking back on his heels as he looked up to the sky. "Thanks to my dad, I've been a proud atheist my entire life. I don't know the difference between a Buddhist temple and a Shinto shrine, or if there even is one. So yeah, there isn't much point in me being here either. Or Anzu, who's Christian, or Hiroto, who doesn't know what he is."

"Then why be here at all?"

"Because despite everything, I'm their friend. Which means that they're important enough to pretend for." Otogi shrugged. "So I don't make a wish. I can still give my 5 yen to the priest who maintains this area. I can fork over 400 yen for a piece of paper that will give me something to talk about over the next week or so. For the price of some pocket change and cold toes, I get to spend an evening with people who like me for me, instead of being home alone in the dark." He patted Kaiba's shoulder. "Just think about it."

Otogi hurried on, spurred on by a call from Anzu that the countdown had begun. The priests and maidens had gathered around the bonfire. While the men chanted, the women danced, some with fans, others with mirrors. Some people are clapping in time, others were singing along. Everyone was smiling. It was just beginning to snow.

The whole sight warmed Kaiba in a way he'd never felt before. He could feel the pressure of some unknown emotion swelling in his chest, making it hard to breathe even though nothing else had changed. A hand squeezed his. He looked down to see Mokuba grinning like crazy at him, cheeks pink from the cold that no one seemed to be feeling anymore, snowflakes glistening in his hair. He found himself smiling, actually smiling, back, unable to contain the feeling anymore. _Happiness_ …he thought, finally putting a name to the sensation. A type of happiness he hadn't felt in a very long time – the only thing coming close in memory being when he had first been allowed to hold Mokuba as a baby.

The warmth suddenly turned cold, the swell shrinking into a hard lump that wasn't sitting well in his stomach. Twelve years, he realized with startling clarity. In fact, if serious though was given to the subject, he'd never been happy without some other condition being placed on it. Which wasn't really happiness, it was satisfaction, and even that came with strings attached. The whole of his brother's life, and not once could he remember feeling happiness that was so unabridged and encompassing.

A strong hand clapped on to his shoulder, suddenly grounding him in the present. He found himself blinking at Jounouchi, who wasn't looking at him, but rather at the fire. Beside him, the rest of the group was just as animated as the rest of the crowd, singing, clapping and dancing with wide grins, without a care to be seen.

"It doesn't matter," the blond said, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. "Whatever it is, it can wait. Don't think about it right now. All that matters is this moment and what you feel in it." The hand removed itself and Jounouchi jumped right back into the bedlam as if he'd been a part of it from the beginning. But the weight remained on Kaiba's shoulder, somehow easing the weight in his stomach. The cold slowly left until all he could feel was the warm, gentle pressure once again in his chest.

Somewhere in the distance, a bell rung, signaling the onset of midnight. Fireworks from several different parts of the city echoed through the air, their bright colours lighting up the snow gray sky. All around them, little pieces of paper started flying towards the fire as everyone let go of their past regrets, letting the fire consume them. Seto briefly regretted not having something to throw himself – there wouldn't have been enough paper at this point, but a part of him still wanted to try. But the feeling was quickly forgotten when Mokuba tugged at his coat sleeve. Smile back on his face, he scooped his brother up, holding him above the crowd to throw his carefully twisted paper.

And as he watched it arc over the people and into the waiting hands of the fire, he felt everything else burn away with it. For the rest of the evening, not one thought about the company entered his mind, or the things that awaited him after the sun rose. Though he never joined in the singing, the dancing, or any of the other foolery of those around him that night, it was the first time in a long time that he finally felt like he was a part of the crowd.

* * *

To be continued.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep in mind that Japan's fiscal year starts in April and ends in March. This is why school their school year is different from ours--it starts and ends at the same time.

"Oi, Kaiba. Gotta question."

The CEO looked up to see Jounouchi standing next to his desk. It was still rather odd to see how quickly their former hostility had all but disappeared. Though they were still far from being 'friends,' it was no longer habit to greet one another with an insult. In fact, they hardly argued much anymore. At least not in the violent way they had. The two of them would probably argue until Ragnarok, but now there was a new thread strung in – humor. It had been confusing the first few times, as no one really knew what the appropriate response was, but the tension had quickly faded.

In the month since the New Year, relations between the two parties had become less strained. There was still a lot of hesitant testing, trying to get a feel for what the other would or would not find acceptable, where the line that divided them was and how best to cross it. It probably didn't help that the only times everyone concerned was involved was during school. No sooner had the winter break ended than everything went into overdrive for the end of the year. There was simply no other time to interact, and it (thankfully) kept the large, awkward moments to a minimum. That being said, Kaiba had decided he was beginning to like Jounouchi's sarcasm and Yugi's bad timing. It was definitely amusing to watch Ryou blush after saying something he obviously hadn't thought through. It was harder to judge when Anzu's annoyance and indignation was real or an act, or if Honda was actually taking himself that seriously. Otogi was truly the only one he couldn't read, but the dice master almost said less than Kaiba himself.

If approximately five words any given day could really be considered as contributing _more_ …

"What did you sleep through today?"

Jounouchi scowled. "Nothin'," he ground out. "But since you were the one checkin' stock reports while Higure-sensei was lecturing, you must know everything there is to know about the Golden Ratio."

Kaiba felt his lips twitch. "The school doesn't have wireless, so I couldn't check stock reports even if I wanted to."

"You own your own satellite array and sit next to the window. You were checkin' reports."

Touche. "...It was performance data."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Graphs of some relative importance to your existence. You understand the assignment, though, right?" There was an almost desperate tone in his voice that caused Kaiba's attention to focus.

"I'm not letting you copy my homework."

"Damn it, that's not what I asked!" Jounouchi snarled. "Ya know what? Nevermind. Forget I said anythin'."

"What don't you understand?" Kaiba asked softly. Perhaps this was the most interesting discovery he had made. He had always assumed it was part of Jounouchi's base personality to be confrontational, stubborn and willful. Yet where harsh words were predictably met with resistance, soft words, or even just a softer tone, would melt away the defiance. It was a weird phenomenon that Kaiba had yet to puzzle out, though he couldn't deny the effectiveness in most of their conversations. Every once in a while, however…

Jounouchi slowly turned back around. "Yes?" He sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I swear she was speakin' in tongues or somethin'. I really only understood every third word or so."

"Why me?"

A soft blush graced Jounouchi's cheeks. "Yugi's dad's back in town for a while and Honda's babysittin'. No one else has time tonight, but I don't have time later."

"And you assumed I did because…?"

"Look, if it's gonna be a problem—"

"That wasn't what I asked." Kaiba stood and took his things in hand. "Come to the office any time after 19:00. I'll make sure they let you in."

The blond's face brightened some. "Thanks," he said quickly, turning to grab his own things before dashing out of the classroom. As Kaiba watched the strange display, he couldn't help but wonder what had gotten into the other.

"Yes, thank you."

Kaiba started and looked over to see Yugi watching him. A part of him wanted to ask what exactly he had done that deserved a thank you, but he simply chalked it up to the weird code of conduct the group as a whole kept. He'd learned a long time ago that sometimes it was better not to question; most of the time, the answers just gave him headaches. So rather than respond, he walked away. Yugi followed, though he kept quiet as they moved through the crowded, after-school hallways. At least, until they were putting their outside shoes on.

"I mean it, Kaiba-kun. Thank you for helping him."

"You don't understand it either."

"I had to have Ryou help me," he said sheepishly.

"So glad to be a backup plan…" Kaiba muttered, not entirely meaning for it to be out loud. For the second time, he tried to walk away. But Yugi once again popped up in front of him, this time directly in his path. Most of the time, there was something endlessly amusing about the shorter boy when he was trying to look angry or intimidating. It just didn't work with his eye structure. Right now, however, it was just annoying.

"Be nice to him, Kaiba-kun," Yugi said in more stern tone, giving Kaiba a look he was having a hard time taking seriously. "Don't push him."

For the millionth time, he was seriously wondering why he had thought having friends was a good idea. A part of him was insulted that he had to be told such a thing. Another part of him wanted to know what all the fuss was about. Mostly, he was just irked at the sudden need Yugi had to tell him how to act. Granted, his and Jounouchi's track record for behaving themselves when left alone was something (much) less than spotless, but was that really a reason to get on his case now? Wasn't this how he was supposed to react when asked for help? He leveled his best glare at his rival. "I'm sure he's touched by your concern, but I don't care. If I'm not going to be told what's going on, then it's none of my concern. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm already running late."

Without waiting for acknowledgment, he sidestepped Yugi and continued to the car that was waiting for him. Just before the door closed, he heard Yugi call out. "I mean it, Kaiba-kun!" He waved the driver on when he got a questioning look, already focusing on the rest of the day's work.

***

The meetings scheduled for that day had lasted a lot longer than Kaiba had anticipated, including two he had finally stood and walked out of. Thanks to people who had no idea how to present project proposals or run PowerPoint presentations, it was now almost 21:30. He was tired, hadn't eaten anything since lunch, had the onset of a nasty migraine (probably caused by the previous two conditions), and there was a stack of papers on his desk that still needed his attention. He stopped briefly at his secretaries' desks to see if there had been any important calls he needed to make an effort to return that night, and to find something for his head.

Thankfully it hadn't taken long for the sister team to adjust to his take over as President and CEO; namely that no one entered his office when he was out, no one saw him without an appointment, and that Mokuba was the only exception to either of those conditions. Beyond that, he had found them to be effective in their methods, conscientious of what was important immediately, what could wait, and what needed to be filed in the circular bin, and surprisingly creative in their design of the office filing and monitoring system.

Of course, he'd had to learn a few things himself, like not to ignore something that they put in front of him, that they could be just as intimidating as he, and most importantly, who was who. Matsudera Akiko and Yukiko were identical twins who tolerated no fools, even if that fool had the power to fire them. And Kaiba held no illusions that his office wouldn't go to hell in a hand basket the moment those two decided to walk out the front door.

The messages were all on green paper, and therefore could be left for the next day. He left them stacked neatly on the corner of the desk before reaching into the only drawer he was allowed access to. Confident in knowing his headache was going to be one less thing on his list of concerns soon, he walked into his office.

Not five steps past the door, someone jumped to their feet from one of the couches. Kaiba took a half-moment to curse the fact he wasn't armed, and the other half to check what was in range to use defensively. Though things had definitely calmed down since his take-over, there were many threats lying in the shadows. Not paying attention is what had killed Gozaburo. He'd be damned if it killed him, too. He was still assessing everything when recognition stalled his thoughts.

"Sorry," Jounouchi mumbled, rubbing a hand across his eyes. "Didn't mean to fall asleep."

Kaiba hadn't moved. In fact, he was pretty sure he'd just started breathing again. "How did you get in here?" he demanded.

The harsh tone seemed to wake the blond fully. "Well, since someone forgot that I was comin', Mokuba argued with those two sirens you got guardin' the door to let me wait in here instead of in those awful things you call chairs out there."

Right. The study session. Somewhere, somehow, in the midst of his never-ending meeting hell that was the end of the year, he had truly forgotten about Jounouchi's arrival. But even as he processed this, Kaiba's mind took a sharp detour. Since becoming his personal secretaries, the Matsudera twins had been called many things, and he was happy to note that they seemed to take great delight in eliciting such responses. But… "Sirens?"

A shrug was his answer. "They're too nice and too pretty to be harpies, and not muscular enough to be Amazons. They were doin' their job, bein' distractin' and charmin' until you totally forget what you're tryin' to do. And then they feed you to the sharks."

He'd never thought of it that way, though the image it produced was mildly entertaining. He wondered what they would think of such a reference before focusing again. Who knew how long it would take to explain the chapter to Jounouchi, and it would take at least another two hours or so to get through the paperwork for the night. Part of his promise to Mokuba included a curfew – no more all nighters at the office. He had to make it home as close to midnight as he could and Kaiba was not stupid enough to think the doorman and chauffeur where on _his_ payroll.

He must have been silent too long because Jounouchi sighed. "You're gonna bail on me, too, aren't you?"

Kaiba frowned. There was a defeated tone in the other's voice that bothered him. "You're positive you can't reschedule?"

"My transfer just went through. Tonight's all I got."

It was then that Kaiba's stomach decided to rebel and growl loudly. His frown deepened. Jounouchi smiled softly. "Look, I'm sorry," he said, starting to gather his things. "You've obviously had a longer day that I did, so don't worry about it. I'll figure it out somehow—"

"If I show you how to file, can you do it?" Kaiba interrupted before he'd really thought through what he'd said. Jounouchi stopped and stared at him for a moment in confusion, then nodded slowly. Kaiba wasn't certain exactly what he was thinking; he should be hurrying the blond out the door so that he could get on with his life. But somehow, it grated against his nerves, both his forgetfulness and Jounouchi's willingness to give up without a fight. "I'll make you a deal. If you file all the papers I hand you, I'll buy us dinner somewhere and we can go over whatever you have questions on."

"O…okay…" Jounouchi stammered, wide-eyed. " _You_ trust _me_ …to handle that stuff?"

"No, which is why I'll skin you alive if you screw this up," Kaiba said as he walked over to his desk. "But I'm tired, and hungry, and need to be home before midnight. This needs to be done before that. It will go faster with two people." He looked up expectantly.

Jounouchi hesitated a moment longer before dropping his bag and moving to Kaiba's side. The process was explained, all the proper tools laid out to one side of the desk. Jounouchi listened intently, nodding from time to time. Kaiba couldn't tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing there weren't any questions or interruptions, but he wasn't going to argue about it either.

Impromptu training complete, they sat and got to work. Well, Kaiba sat. Lacking another chair to bring to the desk, Jounouchi waited for the first set of papers to be handed over standing. They worked quickly and quietly, something the CEO was exceptionally grateful for, with only the rustle of paper to fill the space in between. He looked up three or four times to make sure all the documents were being sorted and bound correctly. Jounouchi was absorbed in his task, doing everything just as it had been explained, so eventually Kaiba stopped. In fact, he didn't look up again until he passed over the last document. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get them to focus on the clock. 22:45. Not bad timing, all things considered. Now, if Jounouchi had upheld his end of the bargain… He watched with a critical eye as the blond riffled through the papers, putting them in order before stapling the stack together. The whole thing was then neatly stashed in an office mailer, the last name scribbled out and the new one written in before being dropped into the mail box beside him.

"Do you really do all this by yourself?" Jounouchi finally asked, rocking back on his heels. "Or was this a test to see if I'd put up with you?"

"No, I usually have my sirens to help. But if it's after hours like this, then obviously I have to do it myself." He leaned back in his chair, a smirk on his face. "Besides, if you didn't get everything correct, Aki and Yuki might just turn into harpies."

"What do you mean, 'if'?" Jounouchi huffed indignantly, which would have worked a lot better if his stomach hadn't growled at that moment. Kaiba was about to make a snide remark when his growled in response. Jounouchi laughed. "Come on, there's a shop not far from here with coffee and food that should still be open. Then we can tackle the hard stuff."

Normally, Kaiba shied away from open access restaurants and establishments. Gozaburo had always said the upper echelon had no use for common things, be it food, entertainment, or what have you. Like most children, Seto had managed to agree while disagreeing, his dislike stemming from a more practical need: privacy. The moment he'd taken over Kaiba Corp had been the moment a giant target had been painted on his back. The switch from military applications to gaming had only switched which types of people who were trying to target him, or worse yet, Mokuba. And then, of course, there were the omnipresent, always annoying media hounds and fan-stalkers to consider. He'd tried once, just once, to walk into a normal restaurant. It was still one of the biggest mistakes he had ever made. So he paid for his privacy and peace with exclusive restaurants and asocial behavior.

But as exhausted and hungry as he was, Kaiba made little argument over the place Jounouchi lead him to. Hinata was a small, hole in the wall place well away from the major thoroughfares, above a large tea shop. The place was quiet, clean, and well lit, with only a handful of the two-dozen tables occupied. Jounouchi gave a short wave to the thin woman who came out to greet them before taking a booth in the far back.

"Sorry for comin' in so late, Sumi," he apologized as the woman bustled over with water, ceramic cups, and a teakettle.

"No trouble," Sumi bubbled, a wide smile on her wane face. "You're always welcome, Katsu-chan." Her dark eyes washed over Kaiba before she made a small bow. "As are your friends." Before Kaiba could open his mouth to protest being labeled a friend, the woman refocused on Jounouchi. "The usual?"

"Not today. Study session."

"Ah! Brain food. Right away. Anything else?"

Since he wasn't sure what kind of food was even served and saw no menu on the table, Kaiba went with the one thing all establishments served. "Coffee. Black."

"You're stomach isn't going to be very happy if that all you're putting on it," Sumi stated in a scolding, motherly tone.

"He's never been here," Jounouchi interrupted quickly. "Just add a number five and that should be more than enough for us to share."

The woman glanced between the two boys before nodding and bustling off. Kaiba arched an eyebrow at the blond. "Do I even want to know what you just ordered for me?"

A bright blush rushed across Jounouchi's cheeks. "Um, I hope you like fish…"

"Right…" Kaiba rubbed his eyes. "Since you don't seem to be inclined to answer my questions, you ask one."

"Do you like fish?"

For a moment, all the CEO could do was blink at his companion. What did that have to do with anything? The blush was slowly losing force on Jounouchi's face, and the intensity had returned to his gaze, making him seem earnest in a very child-like way. Of the many forms he'd seen Jounouchi take, from proud duelist to violence incarnate, had he ever seen this side? This tense, permission seeking uncertainty that bordered on true concern… Not too far in the past, Kaiba would have laughed at such a look being directed at him, doubly so because it came from Jounouchi.

But now, it inspired something else in him: confusion. Jounouchi was genuinely concerned about his preference? Even while his mind rattled off the rather cruel implications as to why the blond could be so worried, he knew there wasn't any ulterior motive behind the question. In fact, if he thought about it, everything had been in his deference, from the small, out of the way restaurant, to the table away from the rest of the patrons, to the way he had kept Sumi's attention on himself rather than letting it linger on Kaiba. Though he wasn't willing to completely accept it at face value right now, he did allow the warmth of such a thought to help relax him. He even smiled slightly when he responded, "Yes, actually. I do."

Jounouchi relaxed and smiled back. "Good. Because we're gonna get a lot of it."

Feeling more relaxed than he had all day, Kaiba couldn't help his next comment. "However, that wasn't what I was referring to." Confusion clouded the blond's face. The smile turned to a smirk as Kaiba continued his tease. "The homework…"

"Oh, shit. Right." After wrestling with his bag for a moment, the math book was spilled out onto the table.

For the next hour, they worked on untangling the mysteries of mathematics and the Golden Ratio. Though he was by no means a quick learner, and several things had to be repeated several times before the concepts really took root, Kaiba found Jounouchi to be serious and studious despite his obvious frustration over the material. He also quickly learned that his charge learned better by example than theorem. As soon as he was able to put it into a situation that could be understood, it was like watching the proverbial light literally turn on. Despite the tedium of having to explain in four or five different ways before anything made sense, it was somehow worth going through to watch Jounouchi's whole face brighten.

While they worked, the food was brought discreetly. The standard fare of miso and rice first. And then just about every fish dish imaginable. Everything from dry cooked fish to butterflied tempura fish to citrus baked fish and so on, with tempura and steamed vegetables, sliced fruit, salad and, of course, the coffee. Kaiba prided himself on knowing who was around him at all times and was a little irked to note that of the five times his cup was refilled during the night, he only noticed Sumi doing so twice. As dishes were emptied, they were taken away, never leaving the table cluttered with more than a few things. Even in the most high-end restaurants, Kaiba had never seen such seamless and conscientious service.

Jounouchi finally sat up straight and stretched. "My brain feels like sludge. What time is it?" He rummaged through his bag again before turning up a watch. "Damn it! Didn't you say you had to be home at midnight?"

Kaiba sat back with a shrug, snagging the coffee cup out from Sumi's reach. "It's a consideration, not a rule. I think Mokuba will forgive me since I've been here with you and not at work. And thank you," he said the woman, "but this will be the last cup. I get the bill." Once again, Sumi glanced toward Jounouchi before accepting and moving away. "Why does she keep doing that?"

"'Cause she's worried about me," Jounouchi said, voice quiet as he picked at the remaining fruit. "I used to work with her husband, Sentaro, back in junior high. I don't know what he told her, but she's been fussin' over me ever since."

There was more to the story, Kaiba knew, but Jounouchi seemed unwilling to share. It was kind of shocking to realize that he wanted to pry, even after his speech to Yugi that afternoon. He'd never cared before about the background or troubles of others. Unless, of course, they wanted to work for him. Then he made sure he was aware of everything before they ever stepped foot in his building for the final interview.

He smiled behind the coffee cup as Jounouchi started packing up the book, his notes and the other various things that had been strewn around. No, there wasn't a need to pry. If Jounouchi didn't want to be forth coming, then that was his right. With all the resources available to him, there was no need to ask Jounouchi directly for any information Kaiba might want. He wasn't the CEO of one of the largest companies in the world for nothing, after all.

* * *

To be continued.


	7. Chapter 7

A part of him knew that it was just the ramblings of a drunk and bitter old man. There was no way anything that came out of that mouth could be true. It was all just the spewing of poison designed to inflict hurt, to make the bully feel more powerful over his victim. But while the other insults and garbage had rolled off his back just as it had for years now, the last comment had managed to find a nerve. Maybe it was because this latest wash of acid had been particularly spiteful. Maybe it was because after enduring it for so long, the hateful cycle had truly corroded away the strength of his inner walls. Or maybe it was because there should have been no way for this bully to know the things that had been mentioned. Whatever the reason was, he couldn't let it go and would not rest until the matter was settled in his head.

Finally, with his body screaming in pain as it was pushed beyond its limits, he could agree that these incidences were becoming worse. He'd endured far more dire injuries though; after all, one didn't just walk away from gang life without being touched. Twice now he'd endured the price of freedom, and he had to admit, this was getting uncomfortably close to those levels. Still, he moved on, one arm wrapped around his nauseous stomach in an effort to ease the burning pain there while the other kept him steady. At least he was still in enough control that he wasn't tripping over his feet. If he went down now, the probability of him getting back up was not good. It had taken nearly an hour to get moving in the first place and he didn't have nearly the same amount of strength now. He was actually surprised at how well he was doing, all things considered.

Except for stairs, which seemed to have it out for him, getting to the school hadn't been particularly difficult. The hard part was getting to the second floor. Going down the two flights of stairs at the apartment had been a hell of a lot easier than going up the one flight here, and these were much nicer stairs. His knees felt like jelly by the time he reached the landing and he was gasping for breath by the time he reached the top. It hurt so much, each small gasp like a knife being twisted in his side, everything throbbing with each heartbeat. But it was the last hurdle. He'd made it. The classroom was just down the hallway, just the second door on the right…and then he could rest. Not now, not so close, but soon he could give into the darkness that was trying to cloud his thoughts. He just had to make certain, had to be sure…

_You think you got a chance? None of you do. Every single one of those brats you call friends is gonna fail, just like you…_

Leaning heavily against the wall, Jounouchi peered in through the door at the back of the classroom. Relief washed through him when the backs of his friends focused. Stupid old man… Anzu was dedicated like no one else; there was no way that she'd let her dream to dance fall through for anyone. Otogi had already proven himself a brilliant game designer. Even if he didn't do anything else, Dungeon Dice Monsters would live on for a long time. Honda was stubborn, too. He'd find something and carve out his own niche. And Ryou, though quiet, had a resilient streak in him that out did any of them. If something did happen, the group would be there in a heartbeat to help him, just like he would if the group needed him. He didn't see Kaiba, but that wasn't really that unusual. Kaiba was the very picture of success, so there was no need to worry there. And then there was Yugi…

He smiled. Yugi was the one that brought them together. Yugi was the one that kept them together. Yugi had done things none of the rest of them could, withstood things that would have destroyed lesser people, and still smiled every day. If anyone could succeed, make a life for themselves and die without regret, it would be Yugi.

Stupid old man…his friends would be fine, and he would be fine knowing they were fine. The heavy weight that had been hung across his shoulders suddenly lifted, and he felt dizzy at the abrupt lack of tension. Or maybe that was blood loss… The walk to this point had been stained with a lot of red, but he hadn't really let himself think about that at the time. It didn't matter, really. Now that he was sure of everyone, he could put those evil, malicious words out of his mind and he could rest.

He stumbled over numb feet back towards the stairs, his happy little mantra repeating over and over in his hazy mind, not hearing the slamming of a door or the frantic cry of his name from behind, not feeling his legs finally giving out beneath him to send him tumbling head first down the stairs, and not seeing the startled and horrified look his absentee classmate's face before dropping everything to catch him.

***

Despite being up several hours before God (also known as sunrise) to get some work done, Kaiba still hadn't made it out of the office in time for class. Of course, it probably would have helped if he hadn't spent most of his morning reading and rereading the contents of a small folder that he'd found on his desk when he'd walked in. He was a little surprised to see it there; it had only been a week since his request. He was used to waiting at least a two weeks on rush jobs, and up to a full two months for a full investigation. It's existence became less confusing as he browsed through the first handful of pages with all the mundane information like age, parentage, school, family… The employment history was something interesting, but ultimately made sense if everything else was true. No, it wasn't until he got to the end of the report that his confusion was both eased and confounded. All legal records after the age of 13 had been sealed. And if his investigation team, which was still on staff from when Gozaburo had been running military operations, couldn't get into those records, then there was something very serious sealed into those files.

So, as he was prone to do when a particularly nasty problem set itself before him, he pondered. Instead of the work he was trying to get done before the start of his day, he'd sat in his chair and stared out over Domino, working through all the particulars and ramifications of the information available to him. Every once in a while, he would flip back through the rest of the file, but there was never anything new to see, nothing that helped clear up the problem at hand. It wasn't until Yukiko had walked in trying to find something that he was reminded of what the time was…and how seriously late he was to class. He pushed his agreement with the school as it was. The last thing he needed was to aggravate an already difficult situation, especially this late in the game.

The file stayed in his hand, though, as if something else could be gleaned from the pages that hadn't already been processed. It was probably a bad idea taking it to class with him; that was almost like inviting Yugi to find it, which was going to start an argument he wasn't sure he could get away with, but that was a bridge he'd cross when he got there. He had just convinced himself that it was okay to put it away when the slam of a door pulled his attention from his briefcase.

For a brief moment, Kaiba swore time stood still, that he had somehow managed to pause reality to take in everything around him. And yet, he couldn't see anything beyond the wavering form in front of him. The horribly marred skin that was too pale. The large bloodstain gathering on a not-so-white anymore shirt. The dull brown eyes, darker than he ever remembered seeing them, that saw nothing.

Yugi's scream of "Katsuya!" lurched the world back into order. The blond fell, as did everything in Kaiba's hands. Even with his long legs, there was no way to cover all the steps needed in order to reach the other before he hit the stairs face first. He tried anyway. Though he didn't make it in time to stop Jounouchi from tumbling, Kaiba did manage to keep his head from cracking against the tile step.

"Don't just stand there," he snapped at Yugi, who had hesitated at the top of the stairs. "Help me!"

The shorter boy took no time in complying. By the time they managed to straighten out the frighteningly unresponsive form, quite a few students and teachers had crowed around to see what all the commotion was about. One particularly smart individual thudded down the stairs beside them on their way to get the nurse. Anyone actually paying attention would have noticed this was far beyond what any school nurse could handle, and Kaiba was paying attention. Instead, he already had his cell phone in hand, waiting for the emergency line to connect. Having just spent most of his morning staring at Jounouchi's stats, he rattled off all the required information without hesitation. A short time later, the sound of sirens filled the school hall.

For the first time, he looked over at his rival. Yugi looked ready to cry, the tale-tell moisture rimming his eyes and making them overly bright. To his credit, not a single tear fell as he fiercely gripped Jounouchi's limp hand in his own, as though through his own force of will, his best friend would be all right. The stiffness in his shoulders and the tight line of his jaw showed it was hard to remain that way, calm and in control of his emotions, but Kaiba was glad, and maybe even a little proud, that Yugi wasn't going to completely fold under the pressure.

They watched in numb silence as the paramedics, lead by the school nurse, rushed the scene. It was eerily similar to the one barely seven months ago. The Battle City finals seemed like a lifetime ago. He had watched from the sidelines then, too, stoic to the point of being a statue. He had known before the battle had started that it wasn't going to end well. No one had walked away from Malik's insanity without repercussions, and twice, Jounouchi had been directly on the receiving end of that madness. The high altitude winds had made it impossible to hear what was going on, just as useless static invaded his ears now. Something about not breathing, low blood pressure, and unconfirmed injuries managed to break through, but the information was badly disjointed and infrequent. Just like then, there was nothing to do but wait for someone else to get all the pieces together.

Unlike that time, however, he followed the paramedics out with the rest of the group. While the blond was packed into the waiting ambulance, the question arose of should somebody go with him? Kaiba shoved Yugi toward the vehicle. When the smaller boy looked back to question, Kaiba tossed him his cell phone.

"Speed dial two is the office. Call when you know which hospital. Don't answer my phone."

Yugi blinked, then nodded once before climbing in. The door shut with a slam of finality and Kaiba turned on his heel, heading back into the school. Someone had taken the time to gather all the papers and things that he'd dropped on the stairs together and out of the way. A quick inventory proved nothing was missing, so he shoved everything into the metal case without sorting it and quickly made his way to the main office to use the phone. In the time that it had taken him to do all that and replace his outside shoes, the others were only halfway across the yard. Once again, he was struck by how uncaring these "friends" were. Granted, it could just be shock, but not a single one of them had so much as twitched when asked if someone was riding along. And now, they were just milling about, like they didn't know what they should be doing anymore.

"Where the hell are you going?" Honda demanded, the first to notice his presence.

"It's hard to receive a phone call if I don't have a phone," Kaiba snapped back.

Ryou was the one who sharpened at that, seemingly putting it all together while the others were still at a little lost. "I'm going with you." It wasn't a question, or a request, but not really a demand, either. The boy ran back into the school to retrieve his shoes, not even bothering to put them on before returning to the rest of the group. "Oh no, my bag…"

"Don't worry about it," Otogi said. "I'll get it. The less people involved right now, the better." His gaze shifted over to Kaiba. "Though I do expect an update whenever you find out something."

"I'll be staying, too," Anzu said, brightening. "Between the two of us, we'll get everyone caught up in no time."

Honda hummed and shuffled his feet until the car arrived. Then he leveled his best intimidating glare, which really wasn't that intimidating. "Take care of them," he said, though whom he was actually talking to was debatable. Ryou nodded and Kaiba just returned the hard look. Apparently satisfied, he nodded in return before following Anzu and Otogi back into the school.

"Kaiba-sama," the driver said as the two approached, "I've just received a call from the office. Something about someone using your cell phone."

"Take us there."

***

With a sigh, Yugi turned the pages of the magazine to a new article and started his game again. It was like a cross of Mad Libs and vocabulary building. Kanji was read individually, not in their correct groupings, katakana was ignored and replaced with similar sounding hiragana or kanji. It was rather childish, twisting the words around in such a format, turning the harmless sentences into something they were never meant to be, but it helped him pass the time. It was better than pacing the room, letting his mind wander.

As soon as they had reached the hospital, Jounouchi had disappeared, whisked away by doctors and staff, leaving Yugi awash with no direction and nothing to cling to. For the first time in a long time, he cursed his short stature, for being so easily brushed aside and forgotten. Of course, in a trauma unit, people couldn't just stand around, so a particularly kind nurse had pulled him aside to a waiting area. But that was the last he'd seen of anyone. He'd called Kaiba's office, only to be answered by a very confused woman who became rather hostile once she realized it wasn't her boss on the other end of the line. After arguing for a few minutes, it seemed she got the point of the conversation, agreeing to take the message. The line was cut off crisply after that. He just hoped she actually did as she had said. It had rung a few times since then, but as promised, Yugi did not answer it.

Now he was rapidly running out of things to occupy his mind. Oh sure, there were still plenty of magazines to keep his game going with, but as time drew on, the novelty had worn off. A very small part of him was tempted to play with the phone still in his pocket, but didn't want to incur Kaiba's wrath just because he was bored. Especially not now that everyone was getting along so well. Despite his outward appearance, he was 17 years old, for crying out loud. He didn't need other people or things to keep himself entertained.

He had just decided to take a short walk when the nurse returned, this time accompanied with two men in suits. A heavy, sick feeling fell into his stomach as the nurse introduced the two men, who showed off shiny badges to prove their identity as police investigators. They said they only wanted to ask a few questions about his friend, but he knew there was more to it. Jounouchi had told him everything on the way home from Egypt. Part of it had been an attempt to bleed off the pain of losing Atem, to solidify their friendship and place in each other's lives, to make something certain in a suddenly uncertain world. The rest…who knew? They had spent a lot of time talking, and by the time they had returned home, the ache had dulled enough that life could be continued. Everyone had been there to support him, but it had been Jounouchi who got him through it.

But before he had to come up with some sort of clever lie he hoped would be bought at face value, he was saved by a rather loud, "Yugi-kun~!" The two suits in front of him parted to look behind them, revealing the wonderful view that was Ryou running down the hall towards him while Kaiba followed at a much more subdued pace. The white haired boy skidded to a stop just short of running into the whole group, smiling brightly at the two men before stepping between them to latch onto Yugi. "Yugi-kun, are you all right?"

"Hai," he breathed, leaning into the embrace Ryou had wrapped him in.

"That's good." Ryou gave him a small squeeze. "Have you heard anything? We got here as soon as everything got straightened out at Kaiba's office, and don't worry about school because Anzu-san and Ryuiji-kun said that they'd get our homework and bags and-"

He was cut off as Yugi put his hand over the runaway mouth. "Ryou-kun…"

The boy blushed, pulling the hand away. "Sorry."

One of the cops then cleared his throat. "I assume you're both friends of Jounouchi-san?"

"Don't you know it's bad manners not to introduce yourself before starting to question someone?"

After spending so much time, however passively, standing against and being the direct target of Kaiba Seto, Yugi was used to telling the subtle differences in the level of aggravation the CEO was feeling. Right now, in that moment the two investigators turned to look at the latest addition to their merry little group, said CEO was seriously pissed.

"We're investigators for the Domino Metropolitan Police, Inoue Ranmaru, and my partner, Shibuya Kenichi-san. We're here to find out the circumstances of Jounouchi-san's admittance."

"It's Jounouchi-kun," Yugi corrected, earning a look for surprise from everyone. He set his jaw and straightened up under the scrutiny. "Jounouchi-san is his father."

"Right…" Inoue said. "Jounouchi-kun. Are you friends of his?"

"What difference does it make if we are or aren't?" Kaiba asked.

"We're just trying to get some details as to what-"

"He collapsed at school and was brought here." The ice in Kaiba's voice sent a chill down Yugi's spine. "You now know as much as everyone else."

"But what made him collapse?"

"Ask the doctors."

"Has anyone gotten a hold of his father?"

"Unavailable."

"Do you have any idea what may have happened?"

Kaiba's irritation level jumped three degrees as he eyes narrowed. "No."

"It's pretty obvious, don't you think?" Shibuya said, trying to change tactics. "Did he get into an altercation on school grounds?"

"Jounouchi-kun didn't get into a fight!" Yugi snapped defiantly.

"Well, if he didn't get into a fight, then how did he receive those injuries?"

"A fight requires two or more participants," Ryou replied. "If Jounouchi-kun was injured that badly, then he was beaten, not part of a brawl."

"And who would do that?"

He knew who had really done it, but Yugi couldn't come out and say that. For as long as he'd known Jounouchi, there were only two other people that had actually managed to hurt him. Bandit Keith and… "Hirutani Takeru, from Rintama High School," he blurted out. "He's tried twice now to get Jounouchi-kun to rejoin his gang, but Jounouchi-kun's refused both times. He was beaten pretty badly for rejecting the offer."

The two cops exchanged a look. "Hirutani, huh? And you would know this because…?"

"I was there." Yugi closed his eyes, trying to force away everything else the memories brought up. "Jounouchi-kun stayed strong and got beaten because I was there and he protected me." He glared at the two men, wondering why they couldn't just leave it alone. They were just doing their jobs, he knew that, and he was such a terrible liar to begin with. They had a right to be suspicious. But he couldn't quite stop himself from hating them in that moment for causing all this pain.

Another look was exchanged before both investigators straightened. "Well, thank you for your cooperation. We'll be in touch."

He took a small satisfaction in watching the two officers balk as they ran face to face with Kaiba once again. For once, he was glad his rival was such an intimidating, immovable object. The two men were forced under that stare to give a small bow of courtesy and to walk around, effectively ejected from the high status they obviously felt they deserved. Maybe it was Jounouchi's bias that made him see it that way, but the blond would have been so happy to see such a thing himself.

Hands squeezed his shoulders and he turned to see Ryou's concerned face staring at him. "Yugi-kun…?" he started. Yugi just turned and hugged his friend tightly, who eagerly returned the gesture. "Are you going to be okay?" Ryou asked.

Yugi forced a smile to his face. "I'll be fine, Ryou-kun. I promise." Ryou looked unconvinced, but smiled anyway and let it go. Yugi reached into his pocket and handed the cell phone back to Kaiba, cringing under the withering gaze of his classmate. The police may have bought his half-lie, but Kaiba had seen through it and was obviously biding his time until he got an answer. Neither said anything as the phone was taken by its rightful owner, and in the tense silence the followed, Yugi met Kaiba's cold stare with as much defiant will as he could still muster. Jounouchi had entrusted a part of his soul to him that night so long ago, a soul he had trusted few others with. It was not his place to divulge that secret, and nothing anyone could do would make it fall from his lips. After everything, he owed Jounouchi that much. This time, he would be the one doing the protecting.

Kaiba arched an eyebrow, but said nothing. Instead, he turned to his phone to begin messing with it, completely ignoring everything else. Relief flooded through Yugi's system, making him feel shaky and unsteady. Luckily, Ryou saved him again, pushing him gently into a seat before he could topple over and starting in on some long narrative to keep them both busy. Time slipped by during the conversation, with the occasional voice over from Kaiba as he made and received numerous calls. When a nurse finally came to update them on Jounouchi's condition, everything felt more stable than it had since that morning. There was a brief argument as to whether they could see their friend before family was notified, but having been denied once, Kaiba wasn't going to take it again. Yugi didn't know what he threatened the hospital with (and really had no desire to know), but the staff stayed well out of the way afterward.

For the first time since his collapse in the school stairwell, they were able to see Jounouchi. He had been declared stable and moved into a recovery room. Though he was still unconscious, the doctors were not concerned, citing exhaustion and low blood pressure as the majority of the blond's problem. They would continue to monitor him for the next few days, and then release him once in good health. Though still pale, Jounouchi seemed to be resting peacefully, hooked up to an IV, a heart monitor, and an oxygen assist. The bruising was becoming more prominent and one arm was heavily bandaged to keep it still. Anything else was lost under the blankets.

They had been in the hospital for nearly four hours by the time Ryou finally suggested that if they were going to wait, that maybe something to eat was in order. Everything had been left at the school, including lunch. It was relatively nice outside, so they could walk to where ever they wanted. Some fresh air and food would help pass the time. Yugi balked, wanting to be there when Jounouchi did wake back up, not quite willing to admit out loud that he didn't think it was a good idea for the blond to wake up with anyone else in the room. But Ryou persisted in that quiet way that made him hard to ignore. It wasn't until Kaiba finally snapped that if they both didn't leave, or shut up, he was going to throw them out that Yugi relented. With a sharp command for coffee and to call everyone else, Kaiba was left in the room to finish sorting the mess of papers he had dumped out of his briefcase. And with every step he took away from the room, Yugi hoped that his best friend would stay asleep until he could get back…

* * *

To be continued.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Japanese schools usually let out early, or have half days, on Wednesday and Saturday. Typically, a student will be done by about one or two in the afternoon on these days. All schools vary, especially high schools, but this is the general rule of thumb I'm using for this story.

The master duelist got half his wish. Jounouchi did not wake while he and Ryou had gone out, nor had he stirred through the long hours before the hospital staff kicked everyone out for the night. The three were assured that it was normal, that undisturbed rest was the best medicine available, and that they would be notified if something did occur, which probably had more to do with Kaiba glaring at them than anything else. It did nothing to relieve the tension from the rest of the night.

Yugi was awake and out the door the next morning before anyone could protest, unable to stop fretting about his friend. It was silly, he realized, since there was nothing he could do, but somehow sitting at school like nothing had happened bothered him. Even if there was nothing that he could do, he wanted to be there. No, he needed to be there, as much for his own sanity as to support Jounouchi. He smiled as he remembered his conversation with Honda the night before.

" _You know he's gonna fight us, right?"_

" _I know," Yugi sighed into the phone. "But what were we supposed to do?"_

" _He can hate us all he wants, as long as he's alive to do so," Honda replied. "Don't worry about it too much, 'kay? He may be a stubborn son of a bitch, but he knows you got his back. Who knows? Maybe this time he'll actually listen to us…"_

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't immediately notice someone else was already in the room. He stopped short just inside the door and stared at Kaiba, who sat across the room as if he hadn't moved from the night before, a large cup what was assumed to be coffee in his hand and a storm cloud over his head. When it appeared that Kaiba wasn't going to do anything, Yugi quietly walked in and sat down, unsure if he should try to greet his classmate or not. Silence filled the space in between. Yugi looked nervously at his classmate, who was absorbed in whatever paperwork he had in front of him, sipping from the cup every now and again. He didn't understand coffee drinkers, despite his grandfather's four cup a day habit. He didn't have to wait too long before the silence stretched too thin.

"You lied," Kaiba said, voice dark and hard. Yugi jumped at the sudden change.

"What?" he yelped.

"You lied to the police." Kaiba's hard blue eyes caught and held his gaze. "Why?"

"I didn't lie," Yugi mumbled, looking away. "Hirutani really hurt him. Twice."

"But that's not what happened here. Don't lie to me, too."

"Then don't ask, because I won't tell!" he hissed back, meeting Kaiba's gaze again. "He trusted me with this, so don't ask me to betray him." Before Kaiba could respond, there was a groan from the bed. Yugi was instantly up and beside his friend. He grabbed a hold of Jounouchi's hand again, clutching it tightly. "Jounouchi-kun?"

Eyelids slowly fluttered open, revealing hazy honey coloured eyes. They rolled slightly before focusing in. "Yugi…" The sound rasped, causing the blond to cough. "Yugi, what…?"

"You're in Domino General right now. You passed out-"

"No." Jounouchi shook his head, taking a second good look around the room. "No!" He suddenly started struggling with the wires and attachments. "Damn it, Yugi, why did you-"

"You passed out and fell down the stairs! If Kaiba-kun hadn't caught you, your head… You could have…" Somehow, he managed to vault up onto the bed, pinning Jounouchi down. "Do you have any idea how much you scared me?" His hands fisted the fabric of the hospital smock, uncontrollable tears sliding down his cheeks. "There was so much blood and you were so still… You promised me! You promised and still it came to this… I told you and I believed you when-"

The tirade was cut off as Jounouchi pulled him close with his free hand. "I know, I know. I'm sorry, Yugi." He sighed heavily, stroking Yugi's hair the best he could with his splinted hand. Yugi kept his face buried in his friend's chest, embarrassed and unable to stop his tears. It made him feel childish and stupid, even if Jounouchi had told him it was okay, that sometimes it was the only way to make things better. True to form, the blond waited until he had calmed some before asking, "How long?"

"Less than 24 hours," Kaiba supplied.

Jounouchi groaned slightly. "What's the laundry list?"

"Blood loss, severe fracturing of the left wrist, possible concussion, broken ribs, and thirty-two stitches along your side where you were stabbed. Other than a partially collapsed lung caused by the fracturing of the ribs, there was no major trauma."

"Saa…" He was quiet again for a while. "Police or my dad shown up yet?"

"Just the police," Yugi said, pulling away slightly. "I told them it was probably Hirutani."

"Getting your stories straight?" Yugi sat up straight and stared at the door, earning a grunt from Jounouchi. Kaiba was glaring as the two inspectors walked into the room unannounced. Yugi immediately climbed off the bed.

"Speak of the devil," Kaiba muttered under his breath.

"Got something to say, Kaiba-san?" Inoue asked.

The air around his classmate turned from stormy to absolutely black. "Just wondering how many asses you had to kiss in order to make it through training, let alone the ranks to inspector."

Before Inoue could respond, his partner interrupted. "We're just here to check on Jounouchi-kun's progress. Now that he's awake, we'd like to take your statement."

"Not much to say," Jounouchi said nonchalantly. "I got jumped. Didn't see who it was."

"Where?" Inoue asked.

"Somewhere between home and school. I take a lot of back roads. I don't remember."

"You got attacked in broad daylight, and you don't remember who or where?"

Jounouchi finally bristled. "Hey! I got smacked upside the head with somethin' before I got attacked. It's not like they announced themselves with business cards or anythin'."

"So this wasn't a call out?" Shibuya asked. Jounouchi shook his head. "Any idea who'd want to do something like this?"

"Lots of people would love to bury me," he said quietly. "Hirutani's been the most vocal about it, but I helped him roust quite a few others."

"Any names in specific you can give us?"

"Give me some paper; it'd be easier to just write them out for you."

While Shibuya went to go find some paper and a pen, Inoue picked the questioning back up. "Do you know how many were involved?"

"Three…maybe four. It was a hit and run, not a full assault."

"Did you fight back?"

"Does it look like I fought back?"

"Just need to know if I should be looking at other infirmaries," Inoue replied with a smile.

"I didn't touch anyone," Jounouchi growled.

"You really expect me to believe that? I've seen your record; you're not the kind to just let someone slug them around. So why don't you start being honest with me and tell me what really happened? It'll be easier for you to confess now than for us to find out the truth later."

"I am tellin' you the truth," Jounouchi retorted. "I was hit hard and dumped. I didn't see who and I don't remember where. How much would you remember after somethin' like that?"

"Let's assume for a moment that I buy this," Inoue said, settling into a stance that seemed a little too relaxed. "And just to let you know, I don't. But if I did, wouldn't getting to a hospital be your first priority? Why drag yourself all the way to Domino High with potentially fatal wounds?"

Jounouchi looked at his hand, glancing at Yugi out of the corner of his eye. "I needed to make sure my friends were okay."

"Oh, so they're involved in this too?"

"They are not!" Yugi had to make a mad grapple so that Jounouchi didn't launch himself out of the bed at the investigator. "They've got nothin' to do with what I was! They're the only thin' that makes it worth while! You leave them outta this!"

"That's enough!" All attention instantly focused on the doctor now standing in the doorway, a very serious and grim look on his face. The nurse beside him wore an equally unhappy look. "I want this room cleared. Now."

"I'm conducting an inter-" Inoue started to say, only to be cut off.

"I don't give a damn what you're doing," the doctor snapped, clearly unimpressed with the detective. "You're inciting my patient, who, may I remind you, has just woken up after taking a very serious head wound and heavy blood loss. I haven't given any sort of clearance for an interview, let alone an interrogation, of my patient. And until I do so, you will not set foot in this room again. Are we clear?"

Inoue looked like he was going to protest when his cell phone began to ring. "Another time," he muttered, brushing by the doctor briskly as he answered the page.

The nurse looked to the doctor, who nodded, before bustling into the room and Jounouchi's side, checking all of the equipment and making notes on her clipboard. Pushed out of the way, Yugi stood awkwardly beside Kaiba. After being cut off mid-rant, Jounouchi had sort of melted back into the bed, pale and breathing harder than he should have to. "I'm afraid I must ask you two to leave as well," the doctor continued, much kinder in tone. "I know you want to stay, but even if you were family, I'd need you to leave."

"How long?" Kaiba asked before Yugi could.

"At least two hours. I'll let the nurses know when it's okay to let you back in"

Kaiba considered this for a moment, then nodded and start packing his things. Yugi threw a furtive look to Jounouchi before following his classmate out. The door was shut firmly behind them.

With nothing else to do and nowhere else to go, Yugi followed Kaiba outside, into the hospital garden. The day was nice and sunny, even if the wind still held a sharp bite. Everything was getting ready for spring. Pretty soon, things would start blossoming, but for now they endured the coolness wrapped up tightly in their buds. It also meant that they were the only two people out there. They found a secluded spot, out of the wind's path. Yugi curled up with his knees under his chin and watched as Kaiba once again started rifling through even more papers.

It was all part and parcel to running a company, really. He couldn't even begin to imagine how much pressure Kaiba was under on a daily basis. Most days, it felt like he was drowning under the piles of homework the teachers kept heaping on them as the end of the semester crept ever closer, and he only half understood all the paperwork involved in keeping the family shop open. Doing both on such a large scale left him in awe of Kaiba's ability. But right now, it was just annoying.

"Not to be rude, but why are you here, Kaiba-kun?" he finally asked, breaking the silence of the garden.

"I have to have your permission to be here?" Kaiba responded without skipping a beat.

"No, but it doesn't explain why you're here instead of at school or your office. You'd get more done."

"I doubt that," was the grumbled response. Sharp blue eyes glanced up and held his gaze. "Is there something you want?"

Yugi tried to read what was going on behind the annoyed facade Kaiba had put up. After the last few months, he'd begun to recognize the finer layers to his self-proclaimed rival's personality. Very few times was he truly irritated or angry about something. They were usually cover-ups, emotions used to put others off and to distract himself from what was really going on. Jounouchi did it all the time, with his loud and boisterous act. The more stressed or concerned he was about something, the louder and more obnoxious he got, which lead most people to assume the worst about him. On the other hand, Atem's tell had been supremely subtle, just a slight up turn of his mouth when he was talking.

But for as skilled as he thought he was at these interpretations, Yugi could barely puzzle out that Kaiba was confused. Not for lack of trying on his part, but because there were thousands of other flickers there, come and gone in an instant, replaced by something else before that slipped away as well. He realized, with a slight start, that Kaiba didn't have an answer, and that his black mood was a direct result there of. Yugi wanted to smack himself upside the head for his own thoughtless behavior, but instead shook his head and stood. "Have you eaten anything yet?"

"You're going to buy me something anyway regardless of how I answer." Kaiba stuffed a hand into one pocket and produced a small handful of bills. "All I want is coffee, as black as it gets, hot, and a lot of it."

"You should really have something more than coffee."

"You sound like my brother."

"Mokuba-kun is just worried about you. Maybe you should listen."

That seemed to stir the CEO out of his cover-up annoyance and into real annoyance. "Quit it; it's creepy. And since I'm paying, I get whatever I want. I want coffee."

With a reluctant sigh, Yugi took the money. "Hai, hai. But I'm getting you something else to eat, too." He couldn't help but smile as Kaiba rolled his eyes. At least the outburst seemed to have cleared his classmate's mind just a little. Instead of incessant paper shuffling, he was actually concentrating on what was in front of him. Happy to have helped, however minimally, Yugi turned on his heel and headed for a small cafe shop just around the corner from the hospital he and Ryou had found the previous day. If Kaiba wanted coffee, then he was going to get coffee.

***

It was really damn hard to convince himself that he didn't want to chuck something at Yugi's head as the smaller teen ran out of the garden, but somehow, Kaiba managed. Glaring after him for an extra moment, he settled again and returned to his papers. Yugi was, annoyingly enough, right. Between studying for the end of year tests and sorting, approving, and reading all of the end of year paperwork for his company, it would be better for him to either be at the school or his office. Yet he hadn't thought twice since going home the night before that today would be spent at the hospital…and he didn't know why. He better than most understood that there was nothing to be gained by sitting in a cold hospital room waiting for answers he wasn't entirely sure he was going to get, or if he really wanted to know. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't know everything and did honestly believe that some things were better left locked up and buried in the closet. The only thing that kept him from being a complete hypocritical bastard about the issue was that it was necessary to know as much about the people around him as possible, to protect them as well as protect himself. Having gone to such lengths himself, he knew what others were capable of should someone truly wish to hurt him.

Control issues aside, he had been rather startled to find how much it had pissed him off that he was not going to be told what the hell was going on. Ignoring the fact that this was probably one of those issues not meant to be shared, a part of him felt betrayed. To have put so much time and energy into trying to build a relationship, only to be left in the dark when something important came to light. For as many doubts as he'd had before about trying this friendship, this by itself made him want to call the whole thing off, to walk away without looking back. Over-reactionary and petty as that would truly be, it was the only other course of action he could think of taking. Sitting and waiting had never accomplished much in his life, and now he was being asked to do as such with no explanation as to why.

The really bizarre thing was that the thought of actually walking away somehow…hurt. That wasn't the correct adjective. Honestly, it was more like a constriction, like he'd been running too hard in weather that was still too cold. It would be easy enough to go back to his solitary routine; it hadn't changed that much since this whole fiasco had started. Yet the thought of doing as such made him even more uncomfortable than being forced to wait. He tried not to think too deeply upon what that could possibly mean. It was just frustrating to be so far out of touch with his own thoughts and motivations.

Yugi returned shortly later, carrying one of the biggest cups of coffee Kaiba had ever seen and a pair of sandwiches. Obligingly, Kaiba ate said sandwich, even though it wasn't the least bit appetizing. At least it meant that he could honestly tell Mokuba he'd eaten solid food that day, instead of having to smudge the details as to what exactly had been consumed. Between lunch and getting a few sets of much needed paperwork done, they managed to pass the required two hours in silence. Once they were allowed back into Jounouchi's room, they found the blond asleep once more.

The reprieve was short lived. After maybe only ten minutes of returning, there was a loud shout of "You can't go back there!" from one of the nurses. Jounouchi bolted upright in the bed, body tense, his heart rate and breathing spiking hard from their relaxed state. Yugi was instantly beside him, holding onto the blond's one good arm, trying to get his attention away from the still closed door. Kaiba frowned at the display; he recognized a fight or flight instinct when he saw one. Usually, Jounouchi was teetering on the edge of fight. After being on the receiving end of it for so long, Kaiba was pretty sure he would recognize it in his sleep. But instead of evening out, Jounouchi's heart rate continued to climb, and his eyes were wild, not focused. This was a full-fledged fear response.

There was a crash from outside and a scream for security. Kaiba stood smoothly and walked to the door. His hand had barely touched the door handle when Jounouchi's alarmed cry of "No!" echoed through the room. He looked back over to the bed and felt something twist in his stomach. This wasn't just a fear response. This was a panic attack. His heartbeat was spiraling out of control, pumping so hard that Kaiba could see it throbbing in Jounouchi's neck and he was now gasping for air. Everything that Yugi was doing fell on deaf ears, he was so wrapped up in whatever horror was playing out in his mind.

"Don't let him in here," Jounouchi whispered, visibly shaking, eyes pleading in a watery, child-like manner.

It was like looking at Mokuba during a particularly bad thunderstorm. Despite almost being a teenager and independent in more ways than one should be, the younger Kaiba was still deeply terrified of thunder and lightning. If they were together, Kaiba was not allowed out of arm's reach. If he happened to be alone at the time it started, then Mokuba would hide either under his older brother's desk or in his bed, surrounded by a small mountain of pillows. For Jounouchi, proud, tough, stubborn Jounouchi Katsuya to be reduced to a trembling child like this…

"I won't let anyone in here," he said, voice pitched low and even, the same tone he used when coaxing Mokuba through the worst. "No one will hurt you while I'm here."

For a moment, they just stared at each other, long enough that Kaiba thought his words hadn't been heard either. But then Jounouchi gave a small nod and started to relax. As soon as his attention was commanded by Yugi, Kaiba opened the door. It was just enough to peer out into the hallway; no point in setting off another panic attack. Hospital security had a firm grip on the arms of a unruly looking man and where hauling him to his feet. Quite a few nurses were clinging to each other for comfort while a few of the braver ones started straightening out the mess of papers, clipboards and medical equipment strewn about the hallway. The doctor stood about halfway between the man now in custody and the door. He glanced over his shoulder at Kaiba in a rather pointed manner before returning his full attention to what was happening in front of him. Kaiba took the hint and closed the door again.

By the time he closed the door, Jounouchi had calmed down for the most part. He wasn't gasping like a landed fish anymore, nor was his heart racing hard enough that it was going to beat out of his chest. He did look exceptionally pale, however, and had continued to shake under strain of the adrenaline. Yugi had once again climbed onto the bed in his efforts to comfort his friend and was talking in such a quiet voice, Kaiba couldn't hear what was being said. Going slowly, so as not to startle the pair as much as it was to get his own thoughts in order, he moved to the bedside. He watched and waited quietly as the pieces gently clicked together in his mind, and it left a hard, bitter knot in his stomach. There were a lot of "him"s out there in the world, but simple elimination ruled out most of them. Being the toughest in their group, no one within their circle would have been able to inflict such damage. Yugi had already lied about the gang likelihood to the police, so it couldn't be them. If it wasn't anyone known within or outside the group, that left two possibilities; someone completely foreign, or the only other "him" on the list. The one that Jounouchi had all but named.

"Who?" he demanded once he was confident a confrontation wouldn't incite more anxiety. The question seemed to startle the two friends, both of whom just sort of stared at him. A part of Kaiba knew he wasn't the one who should be demanding answers, least of all now. But all his reasoning was drowned in a cold and resentful rage he hadn't felt in years, had hoped he wouldn't even feel again. "Who did this to you?"

He had hoped that a display of aggression might perk Jounouchi back up, even if it was only a side effect. It only half worked. Jounouchi refused to look him while mumbling, "He was just drunk."

Kaiba's brain made another connection, and he had to grit his teeth against the swell in his anger, though he could no longer say who exactly he was mad at. "So you just let your father walk over you?" he hissed. "Is that your excuse, because he was drunk?"

"It's not that simple."

"The hell it isn't!" Kaiba countered, his control cracking. "It doesn't matter if it's all the time or part of the time, when he's drunk or sober or something in between. There's no excuse for an adult to touch a child!"

"You think I don't know that?" Jounouchi demanded, finally meeting his gaze. "You think I like havin' stuff thrown at me? Bein' reminded daily that I was the one that got left behind? I admit I'm slow on the uptake sometimes, but don't you think I'd walk away if I could?"

"Then what the fuck is your excuse?"

Jounouchi crumpled into himself, fidgeting and looking torn. Finally, he sighed and leaned back on the pillows, gaze locked on the ceiling. "I either live with my dad or I go to jail."

Yugi immediately wrapped his arms around his best friend, like he was trying to shield the blond from something. Kaiba just blinked, trying to process the new information, his anger momentarily forgotten. Jail? Where had that come from? Sure, Jounouchi had been involved in a gang before high school. Judging from their own fist fights, the other had been fighting for a very long time. It was certainly possible that Jounouchi would have been arrested at least once if not several times for altercations that left blood on the pavement. It certainly wouldn't be ideal, but wouldn't spending a few months in jail be worth the lifetime of freedom from abuse?

"Explain."

"Kaiba!" Yugi warned, turning an angry glare to his classmate. For a moment, the annoyingly perky innocence dissolved away. Hard eyes and a commanding voice, coupled with the authoritative look and the lack of an honorific honestly made Kaiba think he was once again staring down the spirit of the Sennen Puzzle. The illusion only lasted as long as it took Jounouchi to touch his friend's arm. The pharonic overtone slipped away as Yugi looked back to protest, but the silence the two friends shared killed the words. The unsaid conversation continued for a moment, eventually ending with Yugi backing down. Though he refused to let go, he remained quiet. Jounouchi leaned into him just a little. Kaiba was stuck somewhere between jealous and nauseous at the scene.

Luckily, before he had to make a decision from the two, Jounouchi spoke back up. "When I was in middle school, I almost killed three guys. A teacher, the principal, and the vice principal. I… " he sighed, "I lost it. I had gotten called in by the teacher for smokin' on school grounds. It just kinda went downhill from there. I don't really remember much, just that the teacher said somethin' and somethin'…broke, I guess." He laughed weakly. "I put the guy into a coma for three years and I can't even remember what he said that pissed me off so much. I would've killed him if the principal and the vice hadn't been there. As it was, they walked away with a list of injuries you usually only hear about in connection with car crashes and stuff. Thirteen years old and they wanted to throw me in prison and lose the key.

"My lawyer managed to convince the judge it was temporary insanity, a one time berserker reaction that he had about three million pages of medical nonsense to back up. I mean, my family was already broken, and we were havin' a hard time survivin'. I'd only been a known gang member for a few years, and nothin' on my record was for violence before that. So when the teacher deliberately pushed my buttons, how else was I supposed to act? The agreement was that I would get released back into the custody of my father and placed on parole until I turned eighteen. I had to quit my gang, attend a different high school and successfully graduate there. I could work a job as long as it didn't interfere with my studies. If I left the custody of my father, had another run-in with the police, or failed to graduate, I would return to jail as though I had been convicted of three counts of attempted second-degree murder. I'd be in my seventies before I saw the light of day again."

His suddenly sharp gaze fell on the CEO. "So tell me, Kaiba, is there really a choice here? Do I take a few punches from a drunkard? Or do I give up my life completely?"

"They had to have known," Kaiba responded, though his tone had softened significantly. "The alcohol and the gambling would have come up in the inquiry."

Jounouchi shrugged, staring at his hands. "No one else wanted me. Mom made it pretty clear that I wasn't important. And even if she changed her mind, the Kawai family wouldn't let me live under their roof after somethin' like that. I don't have any other relatives." He started picking at the blanket. "It's not so bad," he said after a short pause. "I mean, it gets my dad to clean up his act every other month when the workers come by for a checkup. We get a stipend from the government that pays for the rent and most of my school expenses. I can make the rest with my job…" His eyes widened. "Fuck, my job! I've missed three days without notice-"

This time Kaiba helped Yugi restrain the blond. "I think being in a hospital is an adequate enough excuse to miss work," Kaiba said, pinning Jounouchi's shoulders to the bed. "And if they still intend on firing you, then I'll give you a job."

"I don't want your charity," Jounouchi spat. "I can find and keep a job without anyone's help."

"It's not charity, it's practicality," Kaiba growled back as he released his hold, folding is arms across his chest. "My sirens have been screeching for a while now that they need an errand boy. Being in the main office and just outside my office, I'm not going to hire any the first body available. It's a position of trust, and somehow, it's you that they've got their sights set on."

That got everyone's attention. "Wait, what?" Jounouchi asked in a bewildered tone. "Me?"

Kaiba shrugged. "You impressed them. Believe me, I've been hearing about it for days now how nice it was to come in and find that all the paperwork in its proper place, collated and stapled and whatever else they think I can't do myself. You don't want the job, that's fine, but _you_ have to tell them you're not taking it and why."

Jounouchi just stared for a few moments before his brain seemed to engage again. "I'll…uh…have to think about it."

"You do that," the CEO grumbled. "One less headache I have to deal with…"

About that time, Honda chose to walk in with Ryou and Anzu in tow, each carrying books and papers in their hands. Kaiba removed himself from the immediate area as the three converged on the bed, worry, questions, and relief bubbling around them. He watched Jounouchi and Yugi relax once they were surrounded by their friends, being caught up on everything in a whirl of voices that made Kaiba's head hurt. Still hyped up on and slightly sick from his previous anger, he excused himself from the room completely, gathering his things and calling for a pick up. Not content to go home yet, he ordered the driver to his office. Once there, he stood in front of his secretaries' desks until their full attention was directed to him.

"How much is it going to cost me to have you two pretend that you want an assistant?"

* * *

To be continued.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are three basic levels of speech in Japanese: the neutral -desu, the informal -da, and the formal -de gozaimasu, all of which basically mean "it is." It's one of those things that's hard to translate over. There's actually about seven different divisions of language, with four "polite" versions that depend on who's talking to whom about what. Suffice to say, Jounouchi typically speaks in the informal, usually to the point to of being exceptionally rude.

Despite being unhooked from every machine they had in the room and being held for only a few more days of observation, Jounouchi was never moved out of the private room and into one of the recovery rooms often shared by five or seven others. And while there were certainly more severe cases that could have made use of the space, no one asked about it, though Kaiba received a few considering looks from the rest of the group. If they thought he was responsible for it, then they were sorely mistaken. The Kaiba name and monetary power went far, but not that far. Keeping Jounouchi isolated in a private room was the doctor's discretion; it just wasn't a point Kaiba disagreed with.

It had taken two days of isolation and distraction (helpfully provided by Mokuba) before he felt ready to walk back into the hospital and face Jounouchi. He knew he had pushed too far, and for the first time in a while, he felt guilty for it. The whole thing had brought up demons he thought he was done with. The resentfulness of being abandoned at the orphanage, the anger at all those who's "love" couldn't extend to his brother, the hatred he'd developed for Gozaburo. He'd run the full gambit of emotions in these last two days. This had been so much easier when he hadn't _cared_ …

So it was with mixed feelings that he entered the room that Saturday morning. Putting off the confrontation would only make it harder. He would be fine with however the situation played out, but he still needed to know where he stood so that he could move on. Thus, he was justifiably confused when he opened the door to an empty room.

There was that moment of _Did I already miss my chance?_ before logic stepped in. The book bag Honda had brought with make-up work was still in the room, packed to overflowing and waiting in one of the chairs. The hospital smock was tossed into a haphazard pile on the bed, trying to slink over the edge to the floor. And then there was a thump and a loud curse from the room's private bathroom.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Jounouchi half turned, blinking at Kaiba from under one arm with an annoyed expression. "Bleachin' my hair. What's it look like?"

The response died on his tongue as the implications of that statement came home. "You bleach your hair?"

"Yeah, I do. Now do you mind? I'd like to get this stuff out before the nurses come back."

For as awkward as it was to watch, it had to be more so to wash out whatever solution Jounouchi had applied to his hair with only one usable hand in such a tiny sink. For a moment, Kaiba was tempted to offer help, but there was no way both of them would fit into the space without some uncomfortable positioning. So he took his usual position and waited.

After several more minutes and curses as the blond jarred his injured wrist, Jounouchi walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his bare shoulders and hair dripping. Someone had been thoughtful enough to bring street clothing, and Jounouchi had already changed into his jeans. The stitches in his side were like a neon sign against the pale skin, following the curve of his ribcage. Bruising marbled the area, fading in and out all across the exposed torso, highlighting fainter, older scars. He was also thinner than Kaiba had originally thought, but he had more muscle mass than had been accredited, too. Watching Jounouchi move in the clothes that always seemed a little too big for him had given the impression of a smaller, slighter frame, though the strength he displayed at any given point should have been a clue otherwise. Given a few more years to fill out properly, he'd be swimming in a sea of women. If they could get past his personality…

Silently, Kaiba shook his head at himself. Jounouchi was hard headed, and a slacker when he thought he could get away with it, but there was also a dedication and determination underneath that few could match. He held strong to his own convictions, even if they were impractical or unpopular. Though he might not always be the easiest person to get along with, there was never a doubt of where you stood with him. Kaiba had to give credit where credit was due; Jounouchi would make a wonderful husband someday.

With a smile he wasn't conscious of wearing, Kaiba walked over to the floundering boy and pulled the towel from his fumbling hands, briskly rubbing the wet hair down. He reasoned it was okay because he did the same with Mokuba, and his brother had twice the amount of hair as Jounouchi. For the most part, there wasn't a complaint. Jounouchi had only jumped the once when their hands had touched, but endured having his hair dried for him silently.

"So why do you bleach it?"

"You have seen my sister, right?" Kaiba made a positive noise. "That's what color it is naturally. I look dumb as a brunet." This time, Kaiba snorted. "What? I do!" Jounouchi took the towel back, glaring up from under his half-dried bangs. "I mean, it wouldn't be so bad if maybe if it had ended up darker, like yours, or maybe Honda's. But no, I got mom's red-brown somethin'. It may have started as a dare, but I like the blond." He shrugged. "Lets me know when my hair needs trimmin' too."

"Only you would consider that mop 'trimmed'."

"Yeah, well I look stupid with short hair, too."

They fell into an awkward silence as Jounouchi finished messing with his hair and pulled his shirt on. Though he didn't make any noise, there was an obvious flinch of pain as the stitches were pulled. Kaiba found himself looking away and instead busied himself with looking over his classmate's make-up work. Just glancing over it, he found a handful of problems done incorrectly, and even more where entire steps had been left out. He shook his head. There would be no way Jounouchi would graduate the grade, let alone the school, if his work kept turning out like this. It was pretty obvious he wasn't cut out to be a regular student. So… "Why aren't you in the vocational school?"

Jounouchi huffed, taking the papers out of his hands. "Just because I suck at anythin' dealin' with numbers doesn't mean I should be a gas attendant for the rest of my life. I've spent enough time in physical labor jobs to know I'm built for it, but I wanna do somethin' else with my life. Don't really know what yet, but I wanna try for it anyway." He stuffed the paperwork into his bag. "It's part of the reason I chose to attend Domino High. I know I'm not cut out to be a salary man, but bein' in vocational trainin' wasn't the only way I was gonna graduate. Figured it was the best of both worlds." He suddenly pinned Kaiba with a sharp glance. "What about you? How the hell did you end up in Domino High?"

Kaiba shrugged. "They were the only school willing to deal with my demands."

"Deal with your demands?" Jounouchi asked, raising a disbelieving eyebrow. "You're kiddin', right? You've got more money than god and a business that's world recognized and you're sayin' that of all the high schools you could've gone to, Domino High was the only one willing to deal with you?"

"For all the reasons you just pointed out, I don't need the damn degree," Kaiba replied coldly. "Technically, I've had a high school diploma since I was thirteen, but the records can't be verified."

He paused, thinking if he should continue. He'd already forced out one of Jounouchi's secrets, certainly he could let one of his own slip, too. "Besides," he continued in a softer tone, "it was part of the deal to give Mokuba's guardianship to me. Kaiba Corporation by-laws demanded that upon the CEO's death, another bearer of the Kaiba name had to take over. And because I had already proven to be uncontrolable, the other five major stockholders decided to try and take custody of both of us, citing that I was too young to take care of both the business as well as my own brother. I argued that that was precisely why I could. The court ruled that I could have custody so long as I retained certain points of 'normalcy.' One of which was to attend high school. Not graduate, not test out of, simply attend. Domino High School was the only school that was willing to allow me the time off to deal with the full-time job of running my business. As long as I turn in all the homework and attended at least 70% of the time, I can do whatever I want."

"You do whatever the hell you want anyway," Jounouchi grumbled.

"I have the power and the ambition to take what I want, there's a difference. You'd be surprised how restrictive my life has been."

"Yeah, right. I'm sure it's been really hard for you to be the spoiled rich boy with daddy there to make it all go away," the blond sneered.

"My father," Kaiba said slowly, deliberately drawing himself up and meeting Jounouchi's somewhat startled expression, "was a kind and honest man who believed that the greatest gift anyone could ever receive was the chance to have a family. My mother was a beautiful and gentle woman who liked to sing while she worked around the house. Contrary to popular belief, they were happily married for ten years, during which time Mokuba and I were both born. Kaiba Gozaburo was many things, but he was most definitely not my father."

Jounouchi's golden eyes merely blinked at him, and widened as the implications became clear. It was more than he'd ever said about his previous life, and the emotion it sparked had him turning away again. Maybe two days hadn't been enough.

"I'm sorry."

The words were so softly spoken, he wasn't even sure he heard them. He looked over. Jounouchi had curled up on the bed, arms wrapped around his legs, his chin resting on his knees. His eyes were downcast as he toyed with the blanket. "I really am. That had to have been really…" Jounouchi frowned and let out a breathy sigh. "Anything I'm gonna say is just gonna sound lame, but I'm sorry for disrespectin' your family like that."

Now it was Kaiba's turn to stare. Somehow, he felt relieved and…happy?... that the other had apologized. But where had that come from?

The blond boy must have seen his confusion because he laughed softly, chewing on his thumbnail. "Just 'cuz my family's screwed up doesn't mean everyone else's is," he said with a half smile. "I'm glad you got memories like that."

"Thank you." Well, this was a weird conversation. But at least Jounouchi was talking to him. Suddenly loathe to let the exchange drop, he asked, "Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Have memories like that?"

He was answered with a shaky smile before Jounouchi laid back down, arms crossing over his face. "I wish," was the soft reply.

Kaiba found himself straightening, curiosity starting to overcome the uncomfortable feel. He patiently waited to see if the other would continue on by himself, or if he would need to prompt the blond into continuing. But Jounouchi remained quiet this time, hiding behind his arms like they would shield him from whatever was going on through his head. After debating for a minute, Kaiba made the decision to broach the subject. He leaned against the end of the bed and said casually as he could, "What do you have then?"

Silence was his only answer for so long that Kaiba honestly thought that he wasn't going to get one. But after a while, Jounouchi shifted a little so that he was staring at the wall. "Um…Shizuka is four years younger than me and, uh… I was ten when she and mom left… I kinda remember goin' to the hospital when she was born and everyone being really happy. And then there was this place out in the middle of nowhere. We only went there once, borrowed it from some friend or somethin'. I remember that Shizuka was still too young to go out to play, so she was probably no more than three or so. So, because mom wouldn't let her outside, I brought the outside to her. Flowers, bugs, stones…anythin' I thought looked interestin'. Laid it all out on the front porch so that she could play with it…

"That's…pretty much it. I don't…really remember any other time we acted like-like a normal family, when they smiled like that at us or each other. I remember takin' Shizuka out lots of times so that she didn't hear 'em fightin', mostly to the beach." He smiled sadly. "She really liked going to the beach…"

"I'm sorry."

Jounouchi chuckled at that, finally looking back up. "What the hell are _you_ sorry for? I'm the one that baited you into an argument. I just got what I deserved."

"No one—" He blinked in surprise as Jounouchi rolled to his knees, slamming a hand over Kaiba's mouth.

"I baited you," he said softly, "because I need to know that you knowin' about my family doesn't change anythin' between us. Yugi worries enough for ten people and Honda's been there since practically the beginnin'. Not even Shizuka knows, and it's gonna stay that way. I don't need help and I don't want pity."

Kaiba removed the hand from his mouth. "Pity and understanding are two different things. Don't mistake my understanding for anything other than that."

They stared at each other for a very long time, trying to read something that neither had a full understanding of. Finally, Jounouchi nodded and started to move away. "Good, now we can move on."

"Not yet." Kaiba didn't relinquish his grip, pulling the blond back around. "This isn't a game. If you use my family as leverage—"

"Then you don't know shit about me," Jounouchi hissed back, eyes bright with hurt and anger. "This wasn't some exchange of secrets, me getting one up on you because you had somethin' over my head. This was me openin' up to someone I thought would _understand_." He spat the word back. "You said all that stuff by yourself. I didn't force a damn answer out of you, so don't you dare try to threaten me with this." He pulled free of Kaiba's grip, retreating to the head of the bed and glaring for all he was worth. "Now get the hell outta my room."

Kaiba froze. What had just happened? Jounouchi repeated his demand, voice rising in both volume and tone as he became even angrier. Shock finally gave way to indignation and outrage. He'd just spent the last five days worrying over the moron, giving up precious school and work time to be there, and was only being met with anger because of it. He felt like an idiot and a fool for trying to be supportive. So much for friendship…

Clenching his jaw, he turned briskly and walked out of the room, barely having the presence of mind to not slam the door behind him. Yugi and Anzu were in the hall. Both tried to greet him, to ask what was wrong, but he ignored them. A part of him knew it wasn't a good idea to take his anger and frustration out on people who weren't involved, but the rest of him told it to shut up. At least they were smart enough not to follow him.

They did, however, contact Mokuba, who came by with the car to stop him from aimlessly wandering his anger off. He didn't even ask what was wrong, just directed the driver back to the house. When Kaiba tried to contradict that order, Mokuba very patiently told him to stuff it because he wasn't going to go to the office and scare all the employees half to death. They wouldn't have much of a company if he ended up firing anyone that looked at him wrong.

But being home left him with nothing to do. Not that he would accomplish much either the way his thoughts kept whirling around his head. Everything was happening too quickly and for once, he couldn't keep up with it. Mokuba once again saved him, though, by dragging him into the tv room, pushing him onto the couch and curling up next to him. "It's okay, nii-sama," he said, hugging his brother tightly. "I promise, it's okay." Kaiba returned the hug, reminding himself that this was the only thing that was important. Mokuba was the only thing that mattered, the only thing that had ever mattered. With that mantra repeating in his head, all other thoughts and feelings slipped away. And Kaiba Seto fell asleep.

Once he was sure his brother was asleep, Mokuba pulled away just enough to grab the phone. Yugi had called and said something had happened between Seto and Jounouchi. Mokuba guessed it was their first real argument since the unofficial armistice. But in order to convince his brother it would be okay to try again, that even friends of many years had their fair share of disagreements, he needed more information…and a partner in crime, if he was going to make everyone play nicely together.

***

"You're never going to pass if you keep staring off into space like that," Yugi chided, not looking up from the last of his homework.

"Sorry," Jounouchi mumbled, dropping his pencil. "I just can't get my heart into it today. Just feels like a losin' battle, ya know?"

Yugi frowned and put down his own pencil, scooting closer to his friend. "You know, you've been like this ever since you had that argument with Kaiba-kun last week. It's not like you to be this depressed."

"Kaiba's an asshole and I hope he chokes on the high altitude his horse keeps him at," Jounouchi spat. "And I'm not depressed, I'm frustrated." He flinched at Yugi's patient stare. "Okay, maybe I'm a little depressed," he finally admitted with a sigh. "I just don't get why everythin' has to be a damn contest with him. I wasn't threatenin' him. I wasn't tryin' to pry into his goddamn personal life. Hell, I wasn't even looking for anythin' other than some surly comment he usually makes when I fuck up. Just when I was really thinkin' I could like him, he turned into the ice bitch from hell again." He flopped onto his back with a huff. "So yeah, I'm depressed, and pissed, and a whole bunch of other things right now."

Yugi took the tirade in patiently and then sighed. "Don't you think that maybe you're over reacting just a little bit?" Jounouchi glared at him and he put his hands up in a placiting gesture. "Just listen to me, please? Jounouchi-kun?" The blond nodded his assent after a minute. "I'm not saying you don't have a right to be angry. Blackmail, or even stabbing someone in the back, is something you'd never do. You're a good, straight forward, honest person. But look how many times Kaiba-kun's been betrayed by the people who were supposed to support him. And family is always a sensitive issue, but more so for both of you. You'd do anything for Shizuka-san, just like Kaiba-kun would do anything for Mokuba-kun. Your methods are different, but the intent is the same.

"So, don't you think that maybe, if the rolls were reversed, you would have done the same thing?"

The argument died on Jounouchi's tongue. Yugi had a point. As much as he wanted to deny it, there were quite a few things that they shared in common. And the more he mulled it over, the more he realized how out of line he'd been that day. Yugi and Honda had been there to show him he didn't have to go it alone, that if he should ever need it, there were people who knew, understood, and accepted, who would support him regardless of anything else. If his trust was so hard to earn, why wouldn't Kaiba's be? Kaiba, who had only two things precious to him – his brother and his company.

He groaned, covering his face with his hands. "Okay, so I'm the asshole. Now what?"

"Apologize."

"Oh yeah, right," Jounouchi snorted. "Just walk up to him in class and say, 'Hey, sorry about bein' such a dick earlier, wanna go out for a burger?' May work on Honda, but I don't think Kaiba will go for it."

"Then think harder," Yugi scolded, poking him in the ribs. "You should settle this before tests start next week, otherwise you really will fail."

"Yeah, yeah. What are you, my mother?"

"No, I'm worried about you. I am allowed to do that, remember?"

This time, Jounouchi poked him back. "You worry too much." He pushed himself back up, grabbing his pencil. "Now, you gonna help me with this homework or not?"

"I thought your heart wasn't into it," Yugi said with a sly smile.

"Yeah, well, my stomach is. And your mom's not gonna feed us until this is done. So help a guy out here."

***

"Kaiba-shachou, there's a Jounouchi Katsuya-san asking to see you, sir."

Kaiba blinked at the intercom. Jounouchi was here? After all that fuss a week ago, he had a lot of nerve showing up so late at his office. He was tempted to tell security to throw the idiot off the grounds, but stalled when he caught Mokuba staring at him. "Be nice," was mouthed at him.

"Escort him up," Kaiba growled. There was an affirmative from the guard before the comm silenced again. He leveled his unhappy scowl at his brother, who just laughed as he walked around the desk. "I don't find this amusing, Mokuba."

"He's probably as scared as you are."

"I am not scared of that third-rate imbecile."

"No, you're afraid of what he might be offering," Mokuba said, slinging his arms around his brother's neck in a loose hug. "Of what an apology will mean."

"He damn well better apologize, or I will have him thrown out and sued for trespass."

Mokuba heaved a sigh of long suffering. "He has as much right to be mad at you as you do at him. We talked about this, remember? Just give it a chance, that's all I'm asking. And if Jounouchi really turns out to be such a jerk, _I'll_ file the paperwork for you, tonight."

Any further conversation was cut short by the heavy knock at the office door. The two brothers separated and Kaiba called permission to enter. The security guard opened the door and strode in first, making a short bow to his boss before stepping aside. Jounouchi hesitated slightly before stepping into the room as well. He waited until the guard had been dismissed and the door closed before coming any closer.

"Jounouchi!" Mokuba lit up. "What are you doing all the way out here this late? Would you like something to drink?"

The blond managed to relax some and smile back. "I don't think I'll be stayin' that long, but thanks anyway. I need to talk to your brother, though. Could you give us a minute?"

"Sure!" the boy chirped. "Nii-sama and I were just about to call it a night anyway, weren't we?" Mokuba's sugar smile only caused Kaiba to roll his eyes and start shutting down his computer. "I'll just go wait in the car. Don't take too long!" He waved happily from the office door, shutting it quietly behind him. Kaiba continued to gather his stuff together while Jounouchi stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"Speak. Or get the hell out of my office," he snapped as soon as he ran out of things to arrange. Jounouchi finally stopped fidgeting, took a deep breath and did something Kaiba had never seen him do – bow down. And not just down, but down low, into a position of subjugation.

"I…apologize for my behavior last week at the hospital," he said somewhat hesitantly, like he wasn't sure exactly which words he should be using. Kaiba blinked at the use of formal language; he hadn't even thought Jounouchi knew it. "It was rude and inexcusable. I'm sorry."

"You're damn right it was inexcusable," Kaiba muttered to himself, ignoring the sharp pang he felt in his chest. Apologies were supposed to make hurt feelings go away, but all it did was intensify the feeling of betrayal. That day, he had realized how lucky he was, and yet how poor he was as well. For a fleeting moment, he had believed that all endless rants about friendship he'd endured might actually live up to the hype. And then he'd set Jounouchi off, had the fledgling trust he'd placed in the other thrown back in his face. After everything was said and done, this is where they stood – wary adversaries that couldn't be trusted further than a thrown stone.

He grabbed his briefcase and walked briskly toward the door. "I don't want your apology. Get out and don't come back." He didn't catch Jounouchi's response, focused solely on leaving his office, reaching the elevator, getting in his car, and leaving this nightmare behind. He was halfway to the elevator, cell phone in hand to inform security of a trespasser when his office door slammed open hard enough it made the windows rattle. "Hold it!" Jounouchi raged, stalking up to him. Kaiba closed his phone and turned to face his classmate, as cold and indomitable as he ever was. As usual, it didn't faze Jounouchi, who walked right up until they were toe to toe, one hand gripping Kaiba's suit lapel.

"I don't give a damn what you want," he snarled, rising up on his tip-toes to get further into Kaiba's face. "I've spent the last fuckin' week sleepless and made about a dozen trips across town, tryin' to track your ass down, so you're gonna damn well listen to what I have to say!

"I fucked up, okay? I was scared and insecure and I took it out on someone who as only tryin' to help. And that makes me twelve kinds of an ass, but I can't take back what I said. In fact, I don't take it back, because you're an asshole for even thinkin' I'd do somethin' to hurt you or Mokuba or, gods forbid, this damn company that runs your whole fuckin' life. So understand this, you damn prick: fuck you. Fuck you and that behemoth of an ego you haul around. I'm not gonna waste my time and energy worryin' about someone who's won't even consider how damn hard it was for me to walk in and do somethin' like that." He pushed Kaiba aside and stormed to the elevator. "Now I'll get the hell out."

Kaiba stared after him, mind working through everything Jounouchi had just dumped on him. It sounded exactly like the argument he'd had with Mokuba after being thrown out of the hospital room. He hesitated only a moment before moving to stand beside the still-fuming boy.

"You're right," he conceded. "I shouldn't have assumed you'd use the information against me. You're loyal to a fault, just like a dog." He glanced over to catch Jounouchi's distrustful look. "But you're not the first to offer me an olive branch to cover up the knife they're also holding. I can't live with even a shadow of a doubt, with promises that are unspoken. Someone will try to take advantage of it. Blind trust is something I can't afford."

"So do I need to prick my finger and sign some oath of silence or somethin' to make you happy?"

He smirked at the surly reply. "No. Come work for me." The elevator chimed pleasantly as it reached them, the doors sliding open with a bare whisper. Kaiba stepped in and turned to find Jounouchi just staring at him. He clapped a hand over the door to keep it open. "Are you coming or not?"

Jounouchi blinked and quickly stepped in. He pressed his back flat against one side while Kaiba keyed the ground floor. They had ridden about three floors when Jounouchi asked, "Why are you still offerin' me a job?"

"Prove you're loyal to me," Kaiba said simply. "I know you're loyal to Yugi, bar none, though the rest of the group isn't far behind. But I'm not really a part of 'the group,' am I? You'd be under the two I trust this company to after Mokuba. Earn their trust, and you'll know you have mine. Wash out, and then we'll talk about blood oaths."

The offer was considered for a few more floors. "Okay," Jounouchi said, "but not until after tests are done and I find out which classes I have to make up over the break." Kaiba arched an eyebrow. That had been entirely too easy. Jounouchi caught the look and looked away. "Stitches don't come out until tomorrow. The brace won't come off for another three weeks, and I'm lookin' at at least another month to get the strength back in it. Hard to lift boxes under those conditions. They had to let me go."

"Saa." The elevator chimed again and the doors opened to the ground floor. Kaiba gestured for Jounouchi to go first. The two guards at the front desk dropped their conversation, one coming out to open the front doors. Waiting by the front curb was a black car, two men, and Mokuba. While the driver snubbed out his cigarette, Mokuba and the bodyguard packed away whatever game they had been playing. Kaiba stopped and turned to his guest. "Do you need a ride somewhere?"

"Uh…no, thanks." The flush that crept across his cheeks was visible even in the dark evening. "I kinda jacked Honda's bike," he said, pointing to a motorcycle sitting forlornly in the otherwise empty parking lot. "I should get it back to him before he has a heart attack."

"You have until the 3rd," Kaiba responded. "Come during normal hours and security won't stop you. You're looking for Matsudera."

"I thought you said I'd be under two people," Jounouchi said with a frown.

Kaiba smirked. "You will be." The car door closed behind him.

Mokuba twisted in his seat. "You're throwing him to the twins? Seto, what part of 'play nice' don't you understand?"

"I've played by their rules long enough. They can play by mine for a while." He gave his brother a side long glance. "Would you rather be filing legal documents, or going home to ice cream?" Because the heavens knew he wasn't above bribing his younger sibling into complacency.

"That's not a fair question," Mokuba pouted.

"He wants my trust again, he earns it. End of discussion."

* * *

To be continued.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information for this round only concerns the amount of time between the end of the Japanese school year and the beginning of the new one. School ends around March 24th and begins again around the 5th of April, which is roughly two weeks off. As a side note, the sakura blossoming along the southern coast near Nagoya occurs around the very end of March (30th and 31st).

It was close, but somehow, Jounouchi managed to squeak by. He only had to write one history report during the break to pass into the next grade - a paper that was a breeze given Suguroku's archeologist friends. With that taken care of, the group focused on getting the most out of their precious time off. This was accomplished through a series of day (and sometimes night) long parties.

First, it was the "we made it another year" party. Then there was the "Jounouchi's finally healthy again" party. That lasted two days. Next came the "we all have the day off" party and the annual sakura viewing party, which brought about the all-important "visit the temple before school starts again" party. Mokuba was the only Kaiba to join them during one of these get-togethers.

"Nii-sama's drowning in paperwork," he said with a giggle when questioned as to why. "Even though all the numbers are checked like twelve times before they even reach us, he's not satisfied until he's cross-checked them himself. I mean, it makes sense, because those first couple years we found some really big problems. But those guys got tossed a long time ago. Everything's been just fine for a while now, so I don't know why he insists."

"Because he's a control freak," Honda muttered, earning a smack from Anzu, who was the only one close enough to hit him. Everyone else just glared. Mokuba laughed.

"Nii-sama can be pretty OCD some days, but he's getting better. He's only going back three levels now instead of all of them." He didn't stay long after that, just long enough to give Jounouchi some pointers about how to dress and what to bring when he came in.

After recovering from the sixth and last party, which had been an all night table top RPG session at Ryou's apartment, Jounouchi decided to swear off caffeine and that he'd put his "job crisis" on hold long enough. Honestly, he didn't know what to expect. Mokuba had said his everyday wear was good enough to come in with, to have some sort of resume on hand, and to be himself, but had dodged every other question. All he did know was that it was probably a bad idea to show up in his junker jeans and the shirt he'd slept in for the past two days. So dressed in some of his nicer clothes, a clean copy of his work history in hand, and a few last words of encouragement from everyone, he walked into Kaiba Corp Headquarters feeling like he was going before a firing squad.

The lobby receptionist only said, "Go on up, they're waiting for you," when he approached the desk. A helpful security guard was waiting in the indicated elevator and pressed the top most floor button with a "Good luck, kid." Well, if Kaiba was trying to freak him out, mission accomplished. In fact, he almost turned right around and left again when both of the secretaries stood and greeted him by name.

They were the same as they had been all those nights ago when he's come asking for math tutoring. Two young, twenty-something women that invoked a weird sense of déjà vu if they weren't together. Nearly perfect carbon copies of each other, they wore their long, shiny black hair coiled on their heads, held in place with ornate clips. Both had the same flawless olive skin, intelligent and mischievous hazel eyes, and delicate features. Both wore the same earrings, necklace and dark blue skirt with a white satin top. The only thing that made them different was the thin gold bracelets around their wrists. One wore them on the right and the other on the left. And then Kaiba's little hint of one name but two people kicked in. Jounouchi felt like smacking himself.

"We were beginning to worry you weren't going to come," the one with the bracelets on her right wrist said.

"When Kaiba-sama said he'd finally convinced you to take the position, we were so excited," said the other.

 _More like forced me into a corner so I couldn't refuse_ , Jounouchi thought with a grimace. He put on a shaky smile. "Matsudera…"

"Akiko and Yukiko, at your service," they said in unison. Jounouchi felt somewhat light-headed. What the hell had he gotten himself into this time? He grabbed what was left of his nerve, walked forward until he stood before their desk, and bowed politely, introducing himself. They both smiled warmly at him. "Please, follow us."

While one walked to a set of doors opposite Kaiba's office, the other touched a small intercom, informing said Kaiba that their appointment had arrived and would be unavailable for the next hour. Without waiting for any sort of response, she joined her sister in opening the large double doors to what looked like an exceptionally large meeting room. The back wall was dominated by floor to ceiling windows, which Jounouchi was beginning to see as a reoccurring theme. The largest chair sat in front of those windows at the head of the heavy oak table. A row of chairs lined the long sides of the meeting table, but he noticed a conspicuous lack of a chair that would have had the person sitting in it with their backs to the doors.

Akiko and Yukiko took seats at one side while Jounouchi sat across from them. When asked for his resume, he slid the paper to them, wishing he'd printed two copies that morning. He tried not to fidget while they looked over his work history.

"You've done a lot of physical labor for someone who's only seventeen," one commented.

"They're one of the few jobs people are willin' to hire anyone to do the work."

"But why labor?" asked the other. "Shipping freight, goods delivery, packing and sorting… Aren't teenagers supposed to have paper routes or work in dinners and cafes?"

"I do have a paper route in the mornin', but haulin' stuff around pays more. Besides, I like workin' with my hands and the people who work the shifts I need tend to be the guys with better senses of humor."

"So this would be a secondary job?"

"Only if the pay isn't enough." Jounouchi snapped his mouth shut. It was never a good sign when money came up in the first ten minutes of an interview. He kicked himself mentally while the twins exchanged a look. Someday, this honest streak in him would be the death of him.

They folded their hands on the table. "And what would you need to be paid in order to make this your only job?"

He closed his eyes and thought about it. The government check had already come and gone. He'd managed to squirrel away rent and most of his school tuition, but he was still a couple thousand short there. Not only had he been out of work for the last three weeks, but his dad had apparently been kind enough to cash his last paycheck for him, too. Now there were hospital bills to pay along with the utilities. Top that off with the week-long bender his dad was on right now, there was no way to know how large the debt had become. He sighed and said, "More than this job is probably worth."

He was given a curious look. "What exactly do you think this job entails?"

"Honestly? Don't have a clue. Kaiba made it sound like I'd be an errand-boy, which I assume means any task you point me to, though I can't really imagine me helpin' you two with anythin' in this place. Go-fors are like interns and apprentices - all the work for half the pay."

"And yet, knowing that, you still came here for a job?"

Financially, it as a bad move, and he knew it. Granted, _a_ job was better than _no_ job, and if he really needed to earn some extra cash, he could moonlight a third position somewhere. However, that wasn't the reason he'd finally accepted Kaiba's invitation. He felt bad for letting his temper get the better of him, for being the reason they could barely sit in the same classroom again. If taking this job and doing whatever it was he was supposed to do in it was a way to make it up to the other, then by the gods, that's what he'd do. But how did he say that without completely offending someone?

"I want this job," he said after a moment, "because I owe him. He tried to help me, and I just made a mess of things. I don't think I'll ever be able to work it off, but if this job means I can help him somehow, what I'm paid doesn't matter."

The twins held another silent conversation, though this one continued much longer. Jounouchi found himself relating them to the Roba Brothers, a thought that eased the freaked out feeling their synchronized movements and speech caused. Roba's ESP had been nothing more than a one-way radio and a pair of binoculars. Mai had used perfumes to scare her opponents in a similar way. Now that he thought about it, odds were that Akiko and Yukiko's identical patterns were a trick as well, meant to confuse and disorient someone didn't know them.

He was still puzzling it all out in his head when they turned back to him. "We'll have to discuss a few things with Kaiba-sama first, but we would both very much like it if you would come work for us. If you'll please come by again next week after school, we'll iron out the details of your schedule and get you started."

The next thing he knew, Jounouchi was walking out of the building, trying to remember how he got there. All he had was their business card in hand and the vague impression that he'd just been tricked into something. As soon as he had said "I accept," everything had turned into a blur. They had thanked him for his time, all but shoved him into the elevator…and now he was here. Shrugging, he pocketed the card and started towards the train station. If he hurried, they could get one more party before having to face another year of high school.

***

For the most part, they avoided being separated into different classes their junior year. Honda ended up in a separate class to start his training towards being a mechanic while Anzu moved into an advanced class that was designed to support studying abroad. Everyone else stayed in Class 3-C, but were forced to sit alphabetically, and thus away from each other. Only Jounouchi and Kaiba remained together. Between seeing one another all day in class and working relatively close together all evening, it seemed the universe was conspiring to make them get along.

It was only truly awkward for the first few weeks, in which Jounouchi did nothing at his job. While it was cool to be paid relatively well to sit and "observe," as his task had been described, it was also extremely boring. There wasn't much the Matsudera girls couldn't handle, though it was endlessly amusing to watch them call Kaiba away from whatever he happened to be doing to haul some heavy object, or reach into a space they were too short to reach. Kaiba had grumbled once that they had someone to do this for them so he wouldn't be disturbed. Without skipping a beat, Yukiko had told him that if he spent much more time sitting in front of his computer, he was going to start growing mushrooms.

That was when Jounouchi really started to see through the twin secretaries' trick. The most noticeable tell were the bracelets; one always wore them on the left wrist and the other on the right. But it was a false lead, as they'd switch who wore them where every few days. No, it was much more like telling the difference between Yugi and Atem, the subtle differences in personality, mannerisms, and the way they would carry themselves.

During the seemingly endless paperwork involved in starting a new job and getting it ratified by the school, it had come out that neither had distinguished themselves as to who was really who. Akiko had blushed slightly and apologized. Yukiko had laughed and made the proper introductions. This variance had started the pattern Jounouchi was mapping out. Akiko, who was the elder of the sisters by fifteen minutes, was the more reserved of the two, with a quieter, dryer sense of humor. Yukiko on the other hand was more outspoken and had a razor wit to go with her tongue. To those that knew them well, it was a set of glaring differences, but anyone one else would miss them without paying the strictest attention.

After nearly losing his mind to the tedium of office work (which wasn't any different from any other office work he'd seen other people perform at other offices, secretaries or not), he jumped at the chance to play "go fetch." At first, it was small things, like water for the ikebana arrangements Akiko brought in twice a week from her class. Or maybe it was a box of pens from the supply closet because Yukiko had the bad habit of putting hers down and walking away from it. In less than a week, he went from doing nothing to practically running all over the building, taking this folder to someone in Accounting or that piece of mail to so and so in Research. There were only two rules to this game: don't touch anything he wasn't handed and don't look at whatever he was.

In the time that he wasn't running something somewhere, he sat being the massive, two-person desk that dominated most of the main floor in a small spot they had prepared for him. It was just a floor pillow, a lap desk, and a drawer he could put anything he wanted in crammed into a space that was out of the way and out of sight. The purpose was so that he could attend to his homework in his downtime, but Otogi made the uncomfortable comparison to kenneling a puppy that couldn't be trusted by itself. He had endured a couple more dog comments from his friends before Kaiba, without looking up from whatever it was that he was reading, pointed out that putting in a desk for someone who wasn't a secretary was both wasteful and distracting, as would be a body that was just hovering around. With the limited space available, they had done the best they could to accommodate both the needs of their office and their employee.

Kaiba then went on to say that if the sisters were treating him like a dog, he should be happy. Dogs got respect and praise; gophers were usually exterminated. The CEO managed to keep a straight face until Ryou snickered. Despite the fact that it was a groaner of a joke, it was nice to see some of Kaiba's sense of humor returning. After that, things pretty much returned to the way it had been before the hospital.

Jounouchi had been working steadily for a month and a half, earning new tasks and responsibilities on almost a daily basis, when his run of good fortune dried up. The day had started badly, day being a relative term when Jounouchi had showed up at Honda's house at about three in the morning. He was scuffed up and pissed, but nothing serious. By the time he'd calmed down enough not to snap every time someone talked to him, it was time for school. Because of his middle of the night run, he had no homework and kept falling asleep in class, which got him intimately acquainted with the hallway outside and two buckets of water until it felt like his arms were going to fall off.

Work wasn't any better. A train malfunction cost him almost an hour in travel, and when he finally got there, he wasn't the only one in a foul mood. Akiko and Yukiko were both spitting mad, harassed by an endless barrage of demands. He didn't see Kaiba, who had also been absent at school that day, so much as he felt the malevolent aura Kaiba was radiating. He could only guess whatever meeting was being held in the conference room across from Kaiba's office was not going well. A glance at the schedule Akiko kept on her desk showed that there wasn't anything planned for the day, which explained a lot of the aggravation everyone was feeling.

Yukiko had just disappeared (for the eighth time in the last hour) into the ever mysterious "Records Room," grumbling something unkind about senile old men when the elevator doors opened to reveal a woman in a dress that could only be described as gaudy. Without preamble, said woman tried to walk into the conference room, only to become very irate when Akiko stopped her. She threatened everything under the sun, moon, and stars if Akiko didn't allow her to see her husband about something that very minute. Jounouchi didn't catch most of it. He was just doing his best to keep out of the way. He did catch the "punk kid" comment as Akiko started escorting the woman back to the elevator to show her the nearest powder room. There were two, of course, on the floor already. One was the perk of being CEO and President of the company. The other, smaller but no less nice, was an inconspicuous door by the supply closet. Akiko was showing her to the ones on the floor below.

In the absolute still that followed the closing elevator doors, Jounouchi was struck by the fact that this was the first time he'd been left completely alone. Before now, there had always been one sister left at the desk to field phone calls, people, and paperwork while the other did something else. He was starting to help with paperwork, but was still forbidden from answering the phones under threat of death. If someone did arrive, he was to differ that person to either woman.

And then the worst thing of the day happened: the elevator chimed and Yamato Iori stepped onto the floor.

***

This had not been a good day. It had started with a phone call from some secretary for the Yamato family the night before, demanding some sort of meeting. After being put off by both Akiko and Yukiko, said secretary had somehow managed to call Kaiba's personal line. After a short verbal altercation there, he'd received another set of phone calls, one from the disgruntled secretary's boss and one from Yamato Isshin. After a few minutes sorting out who wanted what, it was agreed that all parties would meet the next morning at Kaiba Corp.

Oh, what a mistake that had been. Isshin had called to reschedule later in the day due to something not being complete. Mildly annoyed, Kaiba had just started getting ready to go back to school when Yamato Ikkaku, Isshin's son, had showed up, apparently with a mission to see how pissed off he could make Kaiba. Instead of arguing in the open, they had moved to the conference room. It had only gotten worse from there. It was a dance Kaiba was beginning to despise. Isshin was older, somewhere in his eighties, and his health was starting to fail. As such, the first son, Ikkaku, was slowly taking over for his ailing father. This was most of the problem, as Ikkaku seemed to think that his family's holdings in Kaiba Corp made him able to demand anything at any hour. Dealing with the man second hand had always been annoying; it was only more so directly. If his company wasn't so deeply involved in the Yamato Corporation's holdings as well, Kaiba would have cut all ties a long time ago. As everything currently sat, he was considering it anyway.

He didn't know how long it had been since the migraine kicked in. Probably about the time Yukiko had made it known she was unhappy with the situation by "accidentally" dropping a stack of papers that had been requested in such a way that they scattered all over the floor. It was bad enough that he was locked in a room with a blathering idiot, having to explain every nuance of how their two companies interacted. Now he had to deal with a pissed-off secretary who could crumble his office in five minutes flat. His frustration level only jumped again when he was informed that Isshin was waiting in his office. He was just about ready to scream his aggravation when another scream echoed through the walls.

Whatever he had been expecting when he threw open the doors, it had not been Jounouchi standing over Iori, who was pale and kneeling on the floor, his face twisted in agony. Jounouchi had a crushing grip on Iori's wrist, which had been twisted behind his back. Smoothly, he straightened the limb out in a direction it wasn't meant to go, a loud snap and Iori's howl of pain filling the air as the elbow was snapped.

That broke the spell and several things happened at once. Ikkaku roared in anger and charged into the room. Yukiko emerged from the Records Room with a loud curse. Akiko ran from the elevator for the security switch while Ikkaku's wife screamed. Jounouchi seemed deaf to the racket, changing his grip before snapping both bones in the forearm. Kaiba felt himself moving forward without really being connected to the moment. He grabbed Ikkaku and swung the man back towards the conference room while shouting orders to his secretaries. The two women complied seamlessly, Yukiko to quiet the screaming women as Akiko reached the phones for paramedics. Jounouchi had shifted his grip again, this time methodically breaking several of the smaller bones in the hand.

At this point, he was close enough to see exactly how messed up Iori's arm was, as well as how calm Jounouchi was. His face was completely lax, eyes glazed and dark. When he called the blond's name, those hollow eyes barely shifted to him. It was similar to the look that had started them both down this path so long ago. But where a thousand emotions had clouded his gaze before, there was nothing now. Kaiba felt his heart trip-hammer. Though he'd never admit it, it was as terrifying as staring down all three of his dragons. He hadn't hesitated then, and he didn't now; he stepped forward and wrenched Iori free, snarling, "Enough."

Jounouchi refocused on him and lashed out. The movements were quick and precise, with barely enough room to dodge around. They grappled for what seemed like a long time before Kaiba finally managed to restrain his classmate against his chest, arms pinned between them. "Enough, Jounouchi," he said, trying to calm his voice. "It's over. You can stop."

Slowly, Jounouchi stopped struggling, blinking in confusion. And then the panic around them sunk in. Security filed out of one elevator as paramedics exited the other. Akiko was holding off Ikkaku while her sister was still guarding his wife. A glance opposite showed Isshin standing in the doorway of his office. Suppressing a sigh, Kaiba started the process of clean up. He waved off security as he pulled Jounouchi away from the still screaming Iori. Without a word, the paramedics stepped in to assess the situation. The Matsudera twins were then called over and Jounouchi was dumped into their care. "Out," he commanded, and Akiko did just that, dragging Jounouchi with her. "They don't come in," he told Yukiko, pointing to the two frantic adults pestering the medics. She nodded and Kaiba turned to his office. The door was closed again, Isshin nowhere to be seen.

He took a moment, back turned to everyone, to take a deep breath and clear his mind. The adrenaline seemed to have eased his headache, or maybe it was just the fact that he was so focused on other things now to notice it much anymore. Still, it loomed in the background, increasing in strength as the multitude of questions he had joined the swell. Bracing himself to defend actions he had no knowledge of, Kaiba walked into his office.

* * *

To be continued.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that Kaiba Corporation's history is completely made up, because I felt the need to explain where "sea horse" came from.

;Kaiba entered the office to find Yamato Isshin standing before one of the many floor to ceiling windows that made up the northwest wall. When he had taken over, Kaiba had chosen to move the CEO office to this place because he found he enjoyed staring out over the cityscape in the evenings. The glass was coated with a material that deflected the glare from his computer and, being on the more northern side, produced enough light without the stifling heat the southern side of the building suffered from. Every office he had in every building he owned had a window that faced that direction. It was a strange compulsion, really. One he chalked up to a subconscious need to prove he'd survived one more day beyond Gozaburo. He came to stand next to Isshin, staring out over the rooftops toward the horizon.

"Did you know Kaiba Corporation started as a shipping company during the late Meiji Era?" Isshin suddenly asked, then chuckled. "Of course you know. I'm sure it was part of your education, to know the history of the company you would one day lead. But please, allow me to ramble a bit."

When Kaiba said nothing, Isshin continued. Actually, it had been a warehouse company, designed to ease the congestion foreign important placed on the fledgling system. Foreign goods of all kinds could be unloaded and stored while awaiting review so that the ships could reload and head back to whatever port they called from. Easy and efficient; it doubled the amount of business that could be done while cutting time and budget. The success story of any business. When the needs of the country changed, the company changed with it. All its attention was turned to importing weapons during the first World War. It gained a reputation of having access to the newest technology and the best armaments available in the world. Thanks to foreign investments and government contracts, Kaiba Corp changed from an importer to a manufacturer by the time World War II started.

"My father was a staunch nationalist. So when the Emperor declared Japan's surrender at the end of the War, he, and so many others like him, committed ritual suicide to atone for the sins of the family. I'm not sure of the details, but I'm fairly certain Gozaburo's own father died in the bombing of Nagasaki. In any case, most of us were still rather young and jaded when we stepped into the holes left behind. When the demand to disarm came down, Gozaburo made the decision to separate the company out. All manufacturing was moved into international waters and development went into the private sector, supported by the burgeoning technology boom."

"Alcatraz," Kaiba found himself hissing. The word still felt like poison on his tongue.

Isshin merely nodded. "I grew up surrounded by weapons of destruction and therefore never cared much for them. But I was a good and dutiful son. Despite my personal reservations, I followed my father's will, the will of my ancestors, and supported Gozaburo's monument to death and greed. I'm not proud to say that, but I made the decision myself, so I will own up to it. I just thought there had to be a better way…

"And then, after many years, Gozaburo died. You took over the company. And for the first time since I took over as head of my family, I slept without dreaming of all the lives I had helped end."He finally turned away from the window and met Kaiba's gaze squarely. "Instead of perpetuating the past, you have brought forth the future, Seto-sama. A future I can say I am proud to support and wish to continue supporting long past my time." He gestured toward the couches. Kaiba nodded and followed him.

"So it comes to this," the elder man started, settling back with his hands folded neatly on his crossed knees. "First, an apology, to you and that young man my grandson assaulted. And yes, it was Iori who started it, not the fair haired one, so please, be kind to him. As head of my household, I am responsible for the actions of my family members. I always felt my father was too strict. I wanted Ikkaku to choose his own path, not blindly follow in mine as I had my father's. So I let him do whatever he pleased. As a result, I have raised a son that has no fear of consequence, who in turn has raised a son of his own who knows nothing but instant gratification and petty self-importance. Neither have what it takes to lead after I'm gone, and I hold no illusions as to their ambitions.

"Seeing as I cannot trust my heirs to do as I wish, I have decided to place my family's fortune in a trust outside their reach. The Yamato Foundation will dedicate the majority of its assets to funding under-privileged children in conjunction with Kaiba Corporation's "Free Play" policies at all amusement parks and arcades."

Kaiba's mind was suddenly flooded with half-formed plans, trying to sequence out which actions and paperwork needed to follow what. One of the biggest headaches he'd had to date was trying to convince the stockholders and the accountants that allowing everyone, regardless of income, into the parks was something that would pay off in the long term with publicity, tax write-offs, and an extended merchant base. The only reason he hadn't been able to push it through was because he was the one proposing the idea, which meant his vote (which held majority by itself) didn't count. He'd been tempted to do what Isshin was, to create an outside support with his own money, only to find most of it locked up in other things that would take time to liquidate. Between that and the legal red tape he would have to dance through, it would be years before anything came of it; time he wasn't willing to waste. The search outside the company had only produced promises to help or match anyone will to do the upfront cost. With Isshin's backing now being handed over, the major complaints would be satisfied and they could move on to implementation.

He smiled. "Thank you, Isshin-sama."

The smile was returned. "Don't thank me yet, Seto-sama. There's one little problem to go with all of this."

In addition to the physical wealth Isshin was putting in this trust, he was also placing his stocks for Kaiba Corp there. With the interest both would accrue, there will never be a shortage of money. However, it also meant he could not leave the Foundation in Kaiba's name. For reasons Isshin's lawyers had apparently spent the whole morning trying to explain, it boiled down to a conflict of interests. By leaving the Foundation his stocks, and then leaving Kaiba in charge of it, Kaiba would become Isshin's proxy at all stockholder meetings. "I'm sure you see why the lawyers would be having a field day with this."

The simple solution was to remove the stocks from the holdings, but it was money invested in the company that Isshin wished to see returned to it. Therefore, he needed someone from outside of Kaiba Corporation to head the Foundation and be that proxy. It was really nothing more than a bunch of paper signing, a name to be recognized. There was no office, no personnel…just a document on file at the bank and with the government office. Isshin had been assured by every lawyer he had look at the set-up that it was iron-clad and self-governing. There are even some clever loopholes that had been constructed into it to expand the scope of the Foundation's involvement to allow for future changes. Unless they wish to be more involved, the most work needed would be sitting through those damnable meetings.

"Now, I'm sure those same lawyers would also tell me this is a conflict of interests, but I have no one else to turn to on this matter. So I ask this of you, Seto-sama: Find me someone you trust to be my proxy. Not just someone who will agree with you, but someone who respects you enough to tell you no. I thought many times of objecting to Gozaburo, but lacked the strength of character. Having someone like that at your side only does more damage."

There was a sharp knock on the door before Ikkaku's wife let herself in. "Papa-sama-"

"In a minute, Katsumi."

The woman at least had the self-awareness to pause just past the door. "But, Papa-sama-"

"You will wait until I have finished here!" Isshin snapped. "You are excused!"

She stared for a moment, rather like she'd just been slapped in the face. Then her expression crumpled into something ugly. With a slight huff, she turned and left with the door closing none too gently behind her. Isshin sighed, rubbing his forehead as if trying to ease a headache. "I will have a formal written apology for you by the end of the week from all of them. This is inexcusable."

"Then I hope you won't take offense if I notify security that they aren't allowed to enter any of my properties ever again."

"None at all," was the reply. Isshin pushed himself to his feet. Kaiba stood with him, exchanging a short bow and a handshake. "Well then, if you will look into that matter…" Kaiba nodded and walked him to the door.

Isshin paused with his hand on the door handle. He looked at Kaiba solemnly. "Your parents would be proud of you, Seto-sama. No matter what else others might say, you and Mokuba both have grown into fine sons."

Kaiba couldn't help his snort of disbelief. "Gozaburo would be rolling over in his grave for what I've done to this company."

"As well he should," Isshin said sharply. "He was as much a father as he was a humanitarian. You were his heir, not his child." He placed a hand on Kaiba's shoulder. "As a parent, though an obviously poor one, I am proud of you. I hold no doubt that yours feel the same, wherever they may be."

He opened the door and walked out without further comment, accepting his coat with a smile and nod from Yukiko. He then glared his son and daughter-in-law into silence, though Iori kept howling about how much pain his broken arm was in. The rather bored-looking paramedics waited with him by the elevator.

As soon as the doors closed, Yukiko spoke. "Aki is with Katsuya, down in the cafeteria. He's still exceptionally pale and shaky. If the food doesn't help him settle, we were going to send him home. I think it would be wise to give him some time off anyway."

Kaiba nodded. "Do you know what happened?"

"No, sir," she said with a sad shake of her head. "Aki was at the desk while I went to the records room. That's where I was when I heard the shout. By the time I got back, that…" Kaiba just nodded again. "That bastard's arm was bent the wrong way and Katsuya was getting ready to…I don't know, twist it off or something. I don't think he knew, was just reacting on instinct or something. His face was just so…blank…"

Kaiba held up his hand for silence. "First, clear the schedule so that he can have some time off. Make sure Accounting knows it's a paid vacation and to pay him accordingly. Second, call security. Inform them that only Yamato Isshin and assorted personnel are now allowed on any company lands, including but not limited to corporate headquarters and our subsidiaries. The rest of the family and their lapdogs are not to be admitted, even to any social function under Isshin's name. Third, advise the legal department that should they receive any sort of referendum from the Yamato Company, they are to contact Isshin directly to verify validity. If valid, they are to bring it to me. If not, file a counter-claim, person specific. Don't catch everyone up in one person's stupidity."

"Yes, sir. Anything else?"

He paused for a moment. "I want to see him before you send him home. Then I want to see both of you before you go home as well."

"You're not going to fire him, are you?"

Kaiba smiled inwardly. What was it about Jounouchi that endeared him to people so quickly? "No, I'm not going to fire him," he said, pleased as Yukiko relaxed. "I do need to know exactly what happened, though. And there will have to be some sort of disciplinary action, but that depends on you two and his story."

***

There was a light tap at his office door. With permission, Jounouchi slunk into the room, eyes focused on the carpet. Kaiba took a moment to study the blond, then sighed and stood up. He walked around the desk and leaned against it. After a carefully measured amount of time, he asked, "What happened?"

Jounouchi's jaw clenched and his hands fisted, but he didn't look up. Kaiba thought he'd have to ask again when Jounouchi said, "I broke his arm."

"Shattered is a more appropriate term." That drew Jounouchi's gaze from the floor. Kaiba frowned inwardly. Why did he seem so surprised by that? He'd just systematically broken just about every bone in Iori's arm. "I want to know why."

His honey colored eyes fell back to the floor and Jounouchi remained silent. This time, Kaiba really did frown. His classmate looked torn between guilt, anger, and tears. What the hell had happened in that hallway? Judging his odds of being belted should he get too close satisfactory, Kaiba strode forward and grabbed Jounouchi's shoulders. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened," he snarled, giving the other a sharp shake to emphasis his point.

"He knew!" Jounouchi shot back, pushing Kaiba away hard enough he tripped over his own feet. Jounouchi wrapped his arms around himself and started pacing like some anxious animal.

"He knew?" Kaiba repeated incredulously, barely catching himself on his desk so that he didn't end up on the floor. "Knew what?"

"Everythin'!" Jounouchi stopped pacing long enough to glare. "Fuckin' everythin' is what he knew! My dad, my sister, my record, where I live, where I go to school, where my friends are…he even knew my damn blood type! Everythin'!"

"Did he threaten you?" Jounouchi once again looked away and started pacing. Kaiba growled and planted himself in front of the other, grabbing hold much tighter this time so that he couldn't be shaken off. "Did he threaten you?" he asked again, slow and cold.

A blush flared on Jounouchi's cheeks. "Sorta…" he mumbled.

"He either threatened you, or he didn't," Kaiba snapped. "There's no middle ground. Now stop stalling and tell me what happened!"

The blush darkened, creeping down Jounouchi's neck. He took a deep breath and kept his eyes carefully down and away. "He said he could make it go away," he said quietly. "The police, my record, my dad's debts…all of it…if I'd do something for him, he'd erase everythin'…"

"And?"

"I told him I wasn't anybody's whore, that I was makin' my own way out, and I tried to walk away. He grabbed me…and I don't remember anythin' else," he said softly.

"What do you mean-"

"I don't remember!" Jounouchi yelled, tears starting to slide down his cheeks. "He grabbed me and the next thin' I know , you're the one I'm holdin' on to, he's on the floor yowlin' and screamin' and _I don't remember what I did!_ "

He tried to pull away, but Kaiba held tight. There was a weak struggle which Jounouchi soon gave up on. Confident the blond wasn't going to run, Kaiba gently pushed him down onto one of the couches before walking to the door. Both sisters looked pretty miserable when he asked for a wet towel and a glass of water. Both immediately dropped whatever they had been pretending to do to get said items. He thanked them quietly and closed the door again.

By the time he returned to Jounouchi's side, the blond had calmed down. His eyes were red, and there was still quite a bit of colour on his cheeks, but his resistance was shattered. He looked ready to fall over and die. He scrubbed his face with the towel and drank the water without complaint, staring into the empty glass afterward.

"I'm fired, aren't I?" It wasn't much of a question.

"No, you're not." Jounouchi barely looked up. Kaiba sat on the couch opposite him and leaned forward. "You're a fighter, but not a violent man." Jounouchi snorted. "It's true," he persisted. "Iori threatened you and you didn't touch him. He tried to extort you and all you did was tell him to fuck off. It wasn't until he grabbed you that you laid a finger on him. A violent person would have decked him on sight."

Jounouchi remained silent for a long time, idly playing with the glass in his hands. "So where does that leave us?" he finally asked.

" _You_ are going to Yugi's for the night and staying out of this office for the next two weeks. It's a paid vacation, not a suspension," he said when Jounouchi tried to protest. "I have already talked to Isshin about the matter, and I still need to discuss it with Aki and Yuki. As soon as we know what we're going to do with you, we'll talk again."

Jounouchi just nodded. Kaiba pointed to the phone with an order to call Yugi. He then stepped out of his office and told his secretaries to call his driver. After stepping a little ways away, he placed a phone call of his own. He wanted to know exactly what the lawyer had claimed Jounouchi had during his trial. And that meant hacking into a sealed file.

When the driver was announced to be waiting at the front doors, Kaiba collected Jounouchi and walked him to the car. There were quiet and explicit instructions that the passenger was only to be left in the care of Mutoh Yugi and that he was to wait, regardless of how long, until that condition was met. He wanted to say something to Jounouchi as well, but nothing seemed appropriate. He settled for squeezing his shoulder and shut the car door. He waited until it was out of sight before returning inside.

Back at his office, he motioned for the twins to follow him. They stood quietly before his desk while he returned to his chair behind it. After looking them both over, Kaiba asked, "Why was he left alone?"

"It was an accident, sir," Akiko managed to get out first. "I was trying to fend off Yamato's wife while Yuki was in the records room. She demanded I show her to a restroom. I should have let her use the one up here, but I took her to the one on the floor below. I didn't even think that he'd be alone for more than a few minutes."

"I didn't think twice about it either, Kaiba-sama," Yukiko said. "He's so good about following directions and staying out of the way. I never dreamed he could pull a move like that."

"And now that you do know he can?"

They exchanged a glance. "I'm glad that son of a bitch got what he had coming," Yukiko said. "I've wanted to throttle him for years now."

"The whole family, except Isshin-sama, is nothing but a nuisance," Akiko added. "They come in and throw demands around like it's their name on the side of the building. Spoiled brats, the whole lot."

"We wish is was under better circumstances-"

"-and that they hadn't hurt Katsuya in the process-"

"-but we wish he would do that to all of them," they finished together.

Kaiba couldn't help himself; he laughed. Jounouchi was freaking out and the twins wanted him to beat down more people. Shouldn't that have been the other way around?

When his fit subsided, the sisters were giving him an odd look. He gave it a dismissive wave. "Don't leave him alone again. I don't care about whatever you have to drop or put on hold or for how long, make sure he's supervised. And that bathroom was built for the two of you, not those loitering outside my door. As far as I'm concerned, send them to the lobby." His gaze focused solely on Yukiko. "Has security been informed?"

"Yes, sir. Kuroda-san said company-wide notification would be complete within the hour, including all personnel not on duty today, and that all files will be updated by the end of the day."

"And legal?"

"Ishikawa-san said he'd handle them himself."

"Good. Go home." The sisters bowed politely before turning toward the doors. They were almost there when he called, "Matsudera."

"Yes, sir?"

"I don't care if it's God calling you to save the world. You work for me as long as you're in my building. Understand?"

They gave a smart salute and grinned. "Yes, sir!"

When the door clicked shut, Kaiba relaxed back into his chair, a small sigh escaping as his mind when into overdrive. Isshin had all but given him one of his greatest desires on a silver platter. When the Foundation went into effect, the remaining Yamato family would be left bereft with only a small fraction of their wealth. But for as satisfying as that thought should have been, his vindictive side wanted more. No one insulted or assaulted his employees without dire consequences. And Iori had been a thorn in his side since inheriting the company from his adopter. He wanted to completely crush them, now more than ever, but doing so would endanger Isshin's offer.

Idly, he turned his chair to the windows, though the view was lost to him. He just needed to be patient for a little while longer, and his ability to wait was one of his greatest assets. Instead, Kaiba turned his thoughts to Isshin's problem. There was a very short list of people that fulfilled the requirements for the position, and one of them wasn't among the living anymore. After that, there was only two and neither seemed a favorable choice at the moment. So with a deep breath, he put that thought away as well.

Before he could start another, his cell phone rang. Without looking to see who the caller was, he opened it and listened to the other end of the line. When the information he was being told stopped, he hung up and began gathering his things together. Leaving a note that said he wasn't to be disturbed even if the building was burning down, Kaiba went home himself.

* * *

To be continued.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say this time around, other than I finally managed to work in the two most famous lines between Kaiba and Jounouchi. For people who need a refresher, makeinu is where the innumerable "puppy" comments come in the English version, specifically from the inu (dog) part. Plug makeinu into a translator, and you'll get something along the lines of loser, but the connotation is something like "lower than a dog's belly." Teeme is about as rude as you can get for "you" and is pretty much interchangable with asshole and bastard. And if you want to know what a lamia is, pay attention to the description of the piece Ryou picks up.

"You know," Honda huffed, "the next time you plan on 'borrowing' my bike, the least you can do is bring it back with a full tank of gas."

"Look, I said I was sorry," Jounouchi replied, taking half a second to push his bangs out of his face. "Why ya think I'm out here bustin' my ass helpin' you fix it? You never told me the damn gas gauge was faulty."

Honda stopped pushing to turn and glare at his friend. "Fixing something implies the situation is getting better. If you'd filled the tank before bringing it back, we wouldn't be hauling the bike and the parts back to my house in the middle of the afternoon."

Jounouchi leaned against the back fender, panting. "Yeah, well, if you'd been payin' more attention to what you were buyin' instead of that lady's _ass_ , we'd have money to buy gas at any of the _seven_ service stations we've passed. And you're takin' the long way around. We should've cut through the park-"

"I think I know the way to my own house," Honda shot back. "Besides, you used the gas, so you should pay for it."

"I already told you I can't because I forgot my wallet at work."

"So go in there and get it!"

"I can't!" Jounouchi persisted. "I got another week before I'm supposed to walk back in there."

"Dude, it's your freaking wallet. You wanna get tagged for not having any ID on you?" Jounouchi just huffed. Honda sighed. "Look, my sister lives close to here. We can drop the bike with her, bum some train fare, go get your wallet, buy some gas, and get back to my place before midnight." He leaned in with a leer. "My mom said she was making those croquettes you like so much for dinner. Be a shame if we missed them…"

"You're cruel, you know that?" Jounouchi grumbled. "Bribin' me with food… You've been walkin' us around in circles to get me to agree to go back, haven't you?"

"You owe me."

"Yeah, yeah. Quit harpin'." The blond sighed. "Fine, we'll go get the damn wallet, but your mom better damn well be makin' those croquettes for dinner, or I'm gonna take the bike and run it into the ground. Got me?"

Honda grinned triumphantly and within fifteen minutes, they had made it to his sister's apartment, gotten enough fare to get them there and back (just in case) and were on the train heading across town. Despite the hour on a Sunday afternoon, the cabin they rode in was mostly empty. A mother with a sleeping child in her lap was their only company. While Jounouchi leaned against the hand bars, Honda sat and watch his friend.

"Got somethin' on your mind, man?" the blond finally asked, gaze never leaving the scenery outside.

"Not a thing."

"Then quit starin' at me like a pervert."

"You're the one who's being moody and anti-social. I haven't seen you this bad since middle school, and certainly not since you became friends with Yugi. He's not the only one who worries about you, you know. I just wanna know what happened."

"Nothin'."

"Sure," Honda snorted. " 'Nothin'' made you throw rocks at my window at three in the morning. 'Nothin'' has you avoiding Kaiba like the plague. You've walked around for an **entire week** without your wallet because 'nothin'' is keeping you from getting it. Since 'nothin'' can do that, it has to be _something_."

"I got into a fight at work, okay? I broke the guy's arm in about twelve different places."

"It wasn't your boss, was it?"

"No," Jounouchi huffed indignantly. "It was that jerk who accosted Anzu during the Gala, Yamato Iori."

Honda's eyes widened. "You broke a Yamato's arm?"

"Thanks, Hiroto," Jounouchi hissed, glancing over to see the mother shifting uncomfortably. "Announce it to the whole world."

"Then sit your ass down and talk to me," Honda said, grabbing his friend's arm and pulling him into the seat next to him. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

"He got in my head. I told him to fuck off. He grabbed me and I lost it." He slumped down in his seat, head thumping against the window. "I don't know what happened." Again, Honda's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, Jounouchi glared him into silence. "Look, drop it. I don't wanna talk about this anymore."

Thankfully, the next stop was theirs, so the uncomfortable silence was kept short. Jounouchi only half hesitated before entering. He greeted the front desk attendant and security guard, just like he would every day when he came in normally. Both responded in kind, but he knew as soon as the elevator doors closed, the guard had called up to inform everyone of his arrival.

Sure enough, as soon as he stepped on the floor, both sisters greeted him…if throwing themselves across the room at him was counted as a greeting. They latched on to him, one on each side, apologizing and questioning at the same time. Was he okay? They had been worrying about him since he left. Was he going to come back? Because they completely understood if he didn't want to, but they missed him so much and they were so sorry he had been left in such a situation, it would never happen again… Jounouchi finally relaxed enough to laugh a little and reassure them he'd come back as soon as it was allowed.

"Why the hell do I have two of you if neither of you are going to work?" The group looked over to see Kaiba standing in his office doorway with a very annoyed look on his face. With one last squeeze, the twins separated and quickly returned to their positions. Kaiba watched them for a moment before handling over the folder in his hand. Then his glare settled on Jounouchi. "You aren't supposed to be here."

"I forgot my wallet the other day and this lug," he jerked a thumb towards Honda, "won't shut up about the gas I owe him." Jounouchi rounded the desk, pulling open the drawer that had been designated as his. His wallet was waiting for him, along with some homework he'd been trying to do. He grabbed that, too.

"Saved me a phone call," Kaiba said when the drawer shut. He motioned Jounouchi into his office. Jounouchi resisted the urge to sigh and followed.

"I really am fired, aren't I?" he asked as soon as the door closed.

"Do you hate working here that much?" Kaiba asked quietly, sorting through some paperwork on his desk.

"No-"

"Then quit asking." Finally finding what he was looking for, Kaiba turned back around. "Besides, after that little display, they'd string me up by my toenails and peel off my skin one layer at a time if I did." Jounouchi chuckled at that, causing Kaiba to crack a small smile, which helped both of them relax. "I thought you would like to know that the Yamato family wasn't going to press charges or file a complaint."

"Do I want to know how much that cost?" Jounouchi asked darkly before shaking himself. "Sorry. Thank you."

"Don't thank me, thank Isshin." Kaiba help out a neatly folded envelope, the kind usually only seen in historical dramas or for super special occasions. Jounouchi just blinked at it.

"What is it?"

"A letter, addressed to you. I told Isshin I'd make sure you received it. Are you going to make me a liar?"

Jounouchi stepped forward and gingerly accepted the letter. "What's in it?"

Kaiba snorted and returned to his chair, starting his paperwork again. "Regardless of whatever the rest of you think, I'm not in the habit of reading other people's mail."

"Akiko reads your mail all the time."

"Akiko is my secretary and is paid to know the difference between business and personal correspondence."

"Ah, so that's why that pink envelope covered in hearts and lipstick was shredded last week. You're never gonna get a girlfriend if your 'personal correspondence' keeps endin' up in the trash, you do know that right?" Jounouchi teased. Kaiba's response was to crumple up a piece of paper and throw it at him. The blond laughed and picked up the projectile, smoothing it back out. "And what exactly did Yamashima of Site Management do to deserve bein' wadded up and thrown away?"

"Wasting an hour of my life in traffic to inform me that Research and Development needs to renovate or move from their current building."

He grimaced and crumpled the paper again, tossing it into the waste bin this time. "Never hear of a phone, huh?"

"Never heard of inter-office memos and chain of command." Kaiba looked up from his work. "Is there something else? If not, get your stuff and get out of here. You're not supposed to be here for another week."

"So it was a suspension."

"Only to everyone but Accounting and the floor."

"Thanks," Jounouchi said quietly, fidgeting with the envelope in his hands. "I mean it. You don't have to do this. Anyone else would have canned me on the spot."

Kaiba sat back in his chair. "Does this mean you're going to stop avoiding me in class?"

Jounouchi blushed. "Yeah, sorry about that. It was just…"

"Awkward? I agree. But I've already made my feeling on the subject known. Iori's an ass and got nothing less than what he deserved. The twins want you to do the same to the rest of the family. None of us begrudge you for what you did. You shouldn't either. I thought that was part of how friendship worked."

"Are we friends?"

"I don't know. Are we?"

"I don't know, either," Jounouchi replied, struck by the truth of the statement. "We haven't been enemies for a long time now, and we're not really even adversaries anymore. We know more about each other than acquaintances, but we still don't really trust each other. You can't really call it friendship without trust…but I think we're close."

Kaiba seemed to ponder this for a moment before nodding and returning to his work. Jounouchi took this as a sign of dismissal and started for the door. "Jounouchi." He turned to find Kaiba staring intently at him. "You've never run away from me before. Don't start now, _makeinu_."

Jounouchi grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it, _teeme_."

***

"Malik's coming to visit!" Yugi announced out of the blue. A couple people choked on their lunches. While Jounouchi thumped Honda on the back and Ryou apologized for almost spitting his soda on Anzu, Yugi produced a letter from his book bag. "Perfect timing, since we'll all be off for summer break. He said he also had a friend he wanted us to meet with him."

"Okay, that was only slightly random," Otogi said, offering his handkerchief to Ryou to clean up with. "How did we jump from the class trip to Malik visiting?"

"Don't ask questions you don't want answers to," Kaiba mumbled next to him.

"Well, I was thinking that since our class trip was to Kyoto this year, it might be nice to take Malik out somewhere," Yugi reasoned. "I mean, he didn't really spend a lot of time here before and travelling with this friend of his would be a good way to get to know them."

"I get it," Anzu said. "We can use this trip as a sounding board for what would interest him! We can tell him about all our favorite places to travel to and see if anything catches his attention."

"Right!" Yugi beamed.

"There's only so much temple hopping a person can handle, though," Otogi said.

"More to Kyoto than temples," Jounouchi responded. "It was the capital for a reason."

"Miracles of miracles, you remembered something from history," Kaiba remarked with a smirk. "Too bad you didn't remember that's why they moved the capital twice; to escape from the rule of the priests."

Without hesitation, Jounouchi reached over and smacked Kaiba's arm. "Shut up. At least I remembered."

Yugi found himself smiling sadly at the scene. Holding a civil conversation with Kaiba had always been the best he'd hoped for. Now, in five short months, Kaiba was eating lunch with them, outside even! He was participating in conversations, responding to questions, and generally being more involved. It was more than Yugi had really dreamed of and it was mostly thanks to Jounouchi.

It was also that fact that spoiled his joy. Growing apart was a given, especially now that they were juniors in high school. Having Honda and Anzu in different classes only brought this fact home. In another year, they'd all go their separate ways, which meant that the time they spent together now was precious. But even though he recognized this reality, he wanted to rebel against it. After finally receiving his deepest wish, finally having the friends that he could depend on and who could depend on him, he didn't want to let go. Letting Atem go, no matter how much it had needed to be that way, still hurt so fiercely some days that he could cry. And now, he was losing the one who meant the most to him, who had helped fill the empty space in his heart. Not just losing him, but losing him to the person who had spouted nothing but anger and poison for almost as long as they'd known him.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair for him to take out his insecurity on Kaiba. It wasn't fair that he had to watch everyone separate. It wasn't fair that the things that should make him the happiest also made him the saddest…

He was jerked out of his musing by Ryou, who gave him a concerned look. Yugi smiled and waved off the concern, but Ryou persisted, cornering him after school. "You keep it in much more and you'll burst," he said, nudging Yugi gently.

"Is it really that obvious?"

"Only to someone who knows what they're looking at," Ryou replied. "I used to see it a lot in the mirror."

"I know," he continued before Yugi could say anything. "Come over to my place tonight. I've been working on a new campaign, but I still need a few more ideas. And I just got a bunch of new miniatures you can help me paint. I'll even make dinner! Please, Yugi-kun?"

Yugi laughed. No one could resist Ryou's pleading gaze. Kaiba came close, probably because of years fending off Mokuba, but he still crumbled. He just groused about it more than anyone else. "Hai, hai."

Ryou grinned triumphantly and grabbed Yugi's hand. "Come on, then! There's a really good market on the way there that we can get anything we want from. I'll make whatever you want."

Half an hour later, they had enough food for ten people (or Ryou and one other) and were back at Ryou's apartment. After changing out of their uniforms, with Yugi borrowing some clothes so he didn't get paint on said uniform, Ryou started cooking, telling Yugi about his next lead miniature adventure. Yugi helped where he could, both with the cooking and the storyline. By the time dinner was ready, they had started making plans for a sequel. Once they had finished their food and cleaned up the dishes, Ryou pulled out the suitcase he kept all his paint and brushes in while Yugi put down newspaper on the table. The white haired boy then promptly showed off his two dozen or so new miniatures.

"They just released a new series of fantasy heroes and creatures based on old legends and myths," he said, holding up a piece that had the upper torso of a woman, but her lower body was that of a snake. "Lamia, harpies, golems, slimes, fae-folk, dragonkin…they're pulling from all over the world. I heard the next set has basilisks and war dogs and I really hope they include banshees at some point."

Yugi giggled at his friend's enthusiasm. "So this campaign is just an excuse to buy the miniatures?" Ryou flushed and Yugi laughed. "Just don't go overboard or you'll freak Jounouchi out."

"But I've got this really cool graveyard set up that would be perfect for an end-stage battle. He's a man, he should be able to handle it. Besides," he picked up another figurine, this one a classic white sheet ghost, "I don't understand what's so frightening about this. I might be slightly unnerved if it was a sheet with rainbows or hearts on it and it only communicated through grocery store jingles. Actually, that would probably just be funny, but there's nothing scary about it. Unless, I guess, if it was trying to make-out with you, making those noisy kissing sounds. Then I could understand running away, but this guy? He's cute…" Ryou grinned as Yugi almost fell out of his chair laughing.

"I'm going to have that stuck in my head for months," Yugi gasped, trying unsuccessfully to banish the image of Jounouchi being chased by a ghost in a sheet with hearts on it making exaggerated kissy sounds. "I'm not going to be able to talk to him for at least a week!"

They spent the majority of the night creating weird monsters and scenarios and laughing themselves silly rather than painting. In fact, they didn't manage to put brush to paint the entire time, but it didn't matter. By the time Yugi realized it was time to get going, he felt better than he had in a while.

"Thank you," he said, giving Ryou a quick hug.

"No need. You needed to think about something else for a while. And I got some really good ideas for the next time. Just, don't let it eat you up inside, okay? We're here for you, and no amount of time or distance is going to change that. You'll see."

"I hope so."

Ryou thunked him lightly on the head, giving him a stern look. "With an attitude like that, it won't work. If you want something, you have to believe in it, and try your hardest, or it's never going to happen." His look softened. "So don't give up before you even start."

"Hai." They exchanged good-byes and Yugi took off toward home, giggling oddly whenever one of their monsters came to mind. Ryou was right, though. If he spent all his time worrying, nothing was going to happen. If he wanted to keep these friendships, he needed to work at them. And then time and distance really wouldn't matter.

***

" _Tadaima_ ," Yugi called loudly as he stepped in the back door. He'd barely gotten his shoes off when his mother came rushing back.

"Yugi, thank the gods, are you okay?" She practically fell on top of him, alternating between hugging him and checking him over. "I called Bakura-kun and he'd said you'd already left and then Jounouchi-kun showed up and I though…" She clutched him close.

"Jounouchi-kun's here?" he asked, his good mood dissolving into worry. He tried to push away. "Mom, I'm okay. I promise. You're squishing me. Mom!"

"Let the poor boy breath, Suzume," Suguroku said, gently peeling her off her son. "Jounouchi-kun's in the kitchen."

Yugi squirmed around the adults and raced to the kitchen, dropping his things as he went. He found his friend sitting at the dining table, swearing softly as he reached for another tissue. There was a bruise forming on his cheek near his eye and his knuckles where scraped and swollen. His split lip was still dripping blood, which he wiped at irritably with the new tissue before being pressed against his still bleeding nose. His clothes were ripped and spattered with even more blood.

Jounouchi smiled wanly when he noticed Yugi. "Sorry about the mess."

"What happened?"

"Got jumped on the train goin' home," he said, reach for yet another tissue for his nose. He must have seen the disbelieving look on Yugi's face because he frowned. "Honest, Yugi. I got cornered by these guys on the train tryin' to get home. It wasn't my dad."

"Did you recognize them?" Yugi asked, shaking himself from his stupor. "How long as your nose been bleeding like that?"

"No, and on and off for the last twenty minutes or so. I'll just get it to stop and then I'll do somethin' stupid like touch it or sneeze and it'll start over. That's what most of this mess is," he said, gesturing to his clothes. "I didn't want to wait for them to wake up, so I jumped at the next stop. You were closest."

"Are you sure your nose isn't broken?"

"I don't know. Does it look broken?" Jounouchi pulled the tissue away to let his friend get a good look at his face. "I mean, it's not like I took a punch there. Bastard that got this one in," he pointed to his swollen cheek, "tripped me and I stumbled face first into a wall." He grinned and chuckled. "How stupid would that be? Gettin' a broken nose from running into a wall…"

"It doesn't look broken." Yugi reached over and, as gently as he could, touched the sore tissue. Jounouchi winced, but held still. "Doesn't feel broken, either. But if we can't get it to stop bleeding, we need to get you to a doctor."

"It'll be fine if I can stop missing with it." Jounouchi sniffed delicately before rumpling up the tissue and adding it to the small pile it he'd accumulated. "See? It stopped."

Instead of arguing, Yugi walked into the kitchen and came back with a damp towel Jounouchi could clean up with. "Do you know why they attacked you?" he asked quietly after a while.

"I'm guessin' money," Jounouchi said with a shrug. "There's been a couple reports of late night riders gettin' roughed up and mugged in that part of town."

"You were in the warehouse district?" Yugi gasped. "What were you doing all the way over there this time of night?"

"Sayin' hey to some friends," was the non-committal answer. Jounouchi eased out of his chair and started cleaning up his mess. It was a pointed request to drop the subject, but Yugi decided to make one more push. He helped clean up and said good night to his mother and grandfather, who were still by the back door engaged in some quiet conversation. He then pushed his friend up the stairs to his room.

They were both settling down when Yugi slipped from his bed to sit on the floor next to his friend. "Katsuya…" he said softly. The blond shifted to look at him. Yugi took a deep breath. "Katsuya, I have a bad feeling about this. I know it may be nothing, but you seem to be getting in a lot of fights recently. And they're not the little scuffles, either. I've seen more blood on you in the last six months than I have the entire time we've known each other."

Jounouchi sat up. "So I'm supposed to just let these guys walk all over me? I get enough of that bullshit from home."

"That's not what I meant!" Yugi clenched his fists against his knees. Why couldn't he figure out what he wanted to say? He was concerned; he was starting to see a pattern of violence and Jounouch was so close to having his life back. But he couldn't explain what he saw or how he felt, even with the words right in front of him. He blinked back tears of frustration. "I'm sorry. You're probably tired. Forget I said anything."

"Yugi…" Jounouchi caught his arm before he had moved far. "I…I'm sorry . I know you're not sayin' somethin' like that. It just doesn't feel like that much more to me. But I'm in a fight practically every day. I'll try to lay off, okay?" When Yugi didn't respond, he moved closer. "Hey, this isn't just about the train, is it?" Yugi shook his head, but remained silent. Jounouchi wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. "You can tell me anythin'. You know that. So tell me what's goin' on."

Again, Yugi refused to say anything. Rather, he leaned against his friend, head resting on Jounouchi's shoulder, trying to ignore everything else.

* * *

To be continued.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few notes on this chapter. I have, either realistically or just this side of it, portrayed Yugi as an individual who is extremely touchy, and whose touch is accepted by all of his friends. However, this is not the norm for Japan. Even people who are exceptionally close (i.e. families) do not touch constantly the way we do in America. Their idea of personal space is very defined and you do not violate it if it can be helped. It's part of the mechanism that helps so many people live that close together all the time. Which is why the following incident between Jounouchi and Yugi is weird.
> 
> This may be beating a dead horse, but yuujou really does mean friendship and Takahashi-sensei admits that this pun is part of the reason Yugi and Jounouchi are as odd around one another as they are. Irashaimase is a greeting you'll hear whenever you walk into a shop. It serves as both "Yes, someone is here to help you" as well as "thank you for coming." Tadaima is used to announce someone's return home and to my knowledge is used even if there isn't anyone else in the house. If there is someone there to greet, the response is okairi or okairinasai.
> 
> If I have to tell you what aibou means (or who says it), why are you reading this?

They put on a good show, but the rest of the group wasn't fooled for a moment. For the entire week they were in Kyoto, Jounouchi remained glued to Yugi's side. Some would probably argue that it wasn't that unnatural; the two were practically joined at the hip some days anyway. _Can't have friendship without Yuu-Jou_ was the snickered comments. It was still a bit excessive.

For example, Jounouchi was never out of touching distance. Didn't matter how crowded the street or terminal, what they were supposed to be doing or with whom, Jounouchi stubbornly refused to be dislodged from Yugi's side. They ate together, visited the same shops, shared a room…hell, they even went to the bathroom together. Another example was how touchy they were being. Maybe it was just a side effect of their physical proximity, but they were constantly in contact. Hands brushing here, shoulders there, leaning against one another - they were all but tripping over each other half the time. Whenever someone would point it out to one, the other would latch on, make some foolish comment to the inquiring person, and haul their friend off.

"Okay, it's your last night in Kyoto. Room checks are at 22:00, so make sure you're all back by then. Our train will leave the station at 9:50 tomorrow; make sure you're packed. If you're going to do something foolish, don't get caught, because we're not bailing you out." The homeroom teacher made a shooing motion with his clipboard. "Now scat and have some fun. This is your last chance." Class 3-C let out a whoop of excitement and dissolved in small groups, which further dispersed into the street traffic. It took a few minutes of waiting around before Anzu and Honda joined the main group, but as soon as they did, Operation "Figure Out What's Really Going On" commenced.

It started with Anzu lingering on Yugi's free side while Honda started messing with Jounouchi. When both were deemed suitably distracted, Ryou slipped between them before pulling both Yugi and Anzu into a nearby shop. Otogi stepped into the empty space, pushing Jounouchi and Honda into a restaurant. Kaiba smirked and turned on his heel, heading back to the hotel to catch up on some paperwork in peace. It was always so nice when a plan came together…

"All right, spill it," Honda said after he stuffed Jounouchi into a booth. Otogi calmly sat on the other side, trapping the blond. "I've seen you mother-hen Yugi before, but this is seriously starting to creep me out. So what the hell gives?"

Jounouchi opened his mouth, and then apparently thought better of whatever he was going to say. He sighed instead and slumped down in his seat. "Wish I knew. Somethin's botherin' him, but I can't get him to tell me what. I thought maybe it was 'cause I haven't been hangin' out a lot recently."

"Believe us," Otogi said dryly, "you've more than made up for it. Do you have any idea what started it?"

"My last fight, I guess. The one on the train. I kinda gave him the cold shoulder when he asked why I was all the way out there. Then he made this comment about a weird feelin' and the number of fights I'd been in…and then he went all silent on me." Jounouchi growled and ran a hand through his hair. "He internalizes everythin' worse than Kaiba, I swear. How can I help if I don't know what's wrong?"

"He's worried about you-" Honda started.

"There's more to it than that!" Jounouchi shouted. "I know there's more to this than him bein' worried," he repeated, lowering his voice as other patrons turned to stare at him. "He only turtles up like this when he thinks he has to deal with somethin' on his own. Why the hell am I his friend if I can't even be trusted enough to be told what's going on?"

Honda and Otogi shared a helpless look. With a sigh, Otogi stood and went to get them some drinks. It was going to be a long evening.

***

"Won't you give us a hint?" Anzu pleaded. After milling through several different stores, she and Ryou had wandered Yugi into a park. Since noticing that the group had split up, Yugi had become somewhat withdrawn, not really taking much notice of anything around him. This was why they had moved into the park. Receiving nothing but several vague responses to their inquiries as to what was wrong, Ryou suddenly proclaimed he needed to buy something and would return shortly, leaving Anzu sitting with Yugi on a park bench.

Frowning at the lack of reaction, she pursed her lips and smacked him upside the head. "Mutoh Yugi, if you ignore me one more time-"

"I don't know what to say!" he yelped, rubbing the spot she'd hit. "I feel like I'm losing my mind. I can't make sense of what's going on and I can't explain it better than that."

"Calm down," she said, voice now soothing rather than demanding. "You're working yourself into a frenzy, and that's only going to make it worse." Yugi let out a breathy sigh, pulling his knees up under his chin. Anzu waited for a while, before saying, "Now, tell me what you do know."

"Something feels weird," was the soft response. The boy frowned and shook his head, but Anzu slowly rubbed his back to calm him down again.

"Something with Jounouchi?" she prompted.

"These fights he keeps getting in…it doesn't feel right. It never used to be this bad. It's as if I'm missing parts of a puzzle and trying to put it together in the dark anyway. Like I should be able to see something that's staring me in the face, but I can't." His voice quieted even more. "I can't even tell if there's something there to be seen. Maybe I'm just making a big deal out of nothing."

"You never make a big deal out of nothing," Anzu assured him gently. "And if you think something _is_ wrong, then you have every right to say something, too." She paused. "Did you tell him?"

"I tried. I just made him angry and then guilty. It was just left over adrenaline," Yugi assured her. "He apologized right after."

"Sometimes it's scary you know things like that…" She sighed, looking up into the darkening sky. "I think I'm jealous of you two some days. Even though I've known you longer, you focus on him. You're practically inseparable."

"Anzu-"

She silenced him with a finger to his lips and a smile. "There are things in this world you can only tell to other guys, or only to girls. The fact that you and Jounouchi can share anything is something special. He's been a much better friend to you that I have, so he deserves that special treatment." She studied him for a moment. "And that's part of the problem, isn't it?"

Yugi curled in on himself again. Anzu leaned over, touching his shoulder lightly. "Yugi, are you jealous of Kaiba?" she asked, almost whispering.

This only caused Yugi to flinch and bury his face. "Would it make me a bad person if I said yes?" he asked after a lengthy silence.

"Oh, Yugi…" She pulled him into a hug. "No, it doesn't make you a bad person." She laughed a little at his shocked expression. "If you weren't the least bit jealous of the time he and Kaiba have been spending together, then I would seriously wonder how much you really cared about him. I mean, it's been pretty obvious how worried he's been about you."

Yugi blushed brightly at that. "I've been worrying everyone, haven't I?"

"Of course we're worried about you! We care. And it's because we care that makes this so tough. This year's been so hard on everyone, and it's only the first trimester. We're so used to being together that it can feel like we're losing touch. But just because we don't see each other doesn't mean we've stopped caring. It's part of the reason we can go forward." She smiled. "And if someone gets too out of line, we'll just beat them back into shape."

"Who are we beating and why?" Ryou asked as he approached, juggling three cups of ice cream.

"Jounouchi for being thick-headed," Anzu replied, taking one of the cups and handing it to Yugi before accepting her own.

"Oh." Ryou settled himself on the bench with them with a thoughtful look. "Isn't he always like that, though?"

***

"Hey. Isn't that Otomiya?" Honda asked, looking out the open front doors of the school as he tied on his outdoor shoes. Jounouchi straightened and cast a careless glance in the direction his friend was looking. Sure enough, there were two boys in battered green uniforms standing by the front gate, eyeing everyone coming from the school with ill-concealed malice.

"Yup. And Kamijou's with him." The blond bent back over his own shoes, tightening the laces furthur.

"Something we should know?" Anzu asked, walking around the shoe cubbyholes with Yugi.

"Two thugs by the gate," Honda said before Jounouchi could. "Hirutani's to be precise."

"Jounouchi-"

"I haven't touched anyone since we got back, okay?" he huffed, glaring up at the girl from under his bangs, still messing with his shoes. "I gave my word, didn't I? I come to school, I go to work, I go home. I've turned into Kaiba, only without any of the perks."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kaiba snarled from across the way.

"It means you're about as much fun to be around as a dry mud puddle," Jounouchi spat back. "The only time you manage to do somethin' not related to your job is when Mokuba _and_ the twins throw you out the door. Seriously, watchin' paint dry is more entertainin'."

"At least I have a job. Keep howling like that and I'll guarantee you'll be looking for another."

"Hey!" Honda broke in before Jounouchi could retort again. "We got two bruisers waiting, so save the marital problems for later." He pinned Jounouchi with a hard glare. "Info. Cough it up."

"Been stalkin' me for the last two days. Hasn't been too hard to ditch 'em. Probably why they're here."

"Any idea why?"

"Maybe your little lie finally caught up with you," Kaiba said just loud enough for a few people to hear.

Yugi flushed. "It wasn't a lie," he returned defiantly.

"Focus!" Honda hissed.

"Knowin' Kamijou, I don't walk out that gate, he's going to start bustin' heads until I show up. It was probably Otomiya's job to tail me, so he's probably pretty pissed, too."

"What do we do?" Anzu asked.

Jounouchi shrugged and picked up his book bag. "The only thing we can: walk right by them."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Yugi asked, even as the group formed up in much the same manner they always did, only slightly closer together. Jounouchi and Honda fell into step together, Otogi and Kaiba flanking them about half a step behind and an arm length away. Yugi, Anzu, and Ryou helped fill in the gaps so that the four in front of them didn't look like the wall they really were.

"A little faith in your best friend would be appreciated," Jounouchi mumbled as they stepped into the courtyard.

It was like stepping into another world. As if sensing the coming clash of wills, the remaining student population fled to the sidelines. Everything became still and silent, muffling both the wind and their foot falls. Kamijou and Otomiya straightened, stepping directly into their path. Kamijou had a leer on his face that only emphasized how twisted his nose - which had recently been broken - really was. He stood about as tall as Otogi and was so densely built that he appeared to be a moving brick wall. He had exceptionally broad shoulders, thick arms and legs, and no discernible neck. Otomiya, though no slouch in the muscle department, was a twig comparatively, but there was a frozen quality to him. As opposed to his compatriot, Otomiya looked like he could care less about what was happening. His flawless facial features were no doubt due to his cold indifference putting other's off before a fight could break out. The two groups squared off in front of the gate with a carefully marked distance between them. All the scene needed was a tumbleweed to come rolling by to complete the spaghetti western feel.

After a silence that only stretched seconds, but felt like minutes, Otomiya spoke. "I heard you went straight."

"I heard he turned into a sissy," Kamijou said, cracking his knuckles. "Spoutin' crap about friendship and playin' kiddy games."

"At least I play with people old enough to consent," Jounouchi said with a smile that was anything but friendly. "How old was he again? Six? Seven? And when I lose, it ain't to some old lady with a broom." Kamijou's leer was replaced by unbridled hate.

"For someone who's straight," Otomiya cut in, freezing Kamijou in his tracks, "you've certainly surrounded yourself with a lot of muscle."

Whether the double meaning was intentional or not (one could never tell with Otomiya), it still created the desired effect - it made Jounouchi mad. However, before he could move or open his mouth for another smart retort, Honda and Kaiba both stepped forward. In that imperious way only Kaiba could pull off, he stared down at Otomiya while Honda squared off with Kamijou.

"It there a point to all this posturing?" Kaiba asked, voice just as cold as Otomiya's, but infinitely more arrogant. "Because if there is, you need to get to it, or get the hell out of the way." To his credit, Otomiya stood his ground, smoky black eyes locked with Kaiba's in a clear challenge, though he was pale faced for it. It was Kamijou who finally answered.

"Our boss wants a word with you," he said, peering around Honda to meet Jounouchi's gaze.

"Well, your boss can suck it," Honda said, edging between the two again. "We've already said everything that needed to be said. Two years hasn't changed anything."

"I never thought I'd see the day when Jounouchi Katsuya let others talk for him, let alone hide behind them."

"Then consider this your first lesson in that crap called friendship," Otogi said, walking forward, the group moving with him. "It isn't cowardly to let other people help you - it's the ultimate form of trust. Besides, from what I've seen, you aren't worth the time it'd take to beat you into the ground." He stopped just inches from the two, who were having a hell of a time trying to watch Otogi while keeping an eye on Kaiba and Honda. "Now quit blocking the entrance."

At the same time, two car doors opened and a gruff voice asked, "There a problem here, Kaiba-sama?"

Pressed now on two sides with overwhelming numbers, the two thugs backed down with bad grace. Otogi lead the way through the gap while Kaiba and Honda kept the would-be assailants pinned back. Once on the other side of the school gate, the two bodyguards stepped forward to pressure Otomiya and Kamijou. Finally, the two broke ranks, dashing off in different directions, though Kamijou couldn't seem to help the clichéd "This isn't over yet!" before disappearing from sight.

"Bring it on, asshole," Honda muttered under his breath. Kaiba was on his cell phone already, talking quietly with someone. Jounouchi was staring off in the direction Otomiya had taken, his face unreadable. Yugi tried to ask what was wrong, only to be shrugged off with a "Let it be."

"Okay, I don't know much about gang fights," Anzu said, "but that was weird. Do they usually focus like that on someone?"

"Only if that someone gets caught alone," Honda said, moving to stand with the group by the car. He glanced over at Jounouchi. "You sure you haven't done anything to piss of the Rintama guys?"

"Why the fuck is this _my_ fault?" the blond snapped, whirling to glare at his friends. "Does it really matter how I answer if you're just gonna doubt what I say? No! I haven't been to that side of town in months! I told you that the _last time_ you asked. Fuck this…" he growled, turning to stalk away and running into Kaiba instead.

"Get in the car," Kaiba said softly, but it was no less of a command. Jounouchi muttered for almost a full minute before turning again, ripping open the front passenger door with enough force to make the whole vehicle shake. He tossed his book bag to the floor, climbed in grumbling all sort of profanity, and slammed the door shut again. A second car pulled in behind the first. "Kuroda will escort you home. Figure out who's riding where." With that, Kaiba slid into the backseat of the first car.

Since one of the guards had to also ride with Kaiba (because really, what was the point otherwise?), there was only space for one more in that car. It was decided that Yugi could fit between the bulky guard and Kaiba, which lead to a very uncomfortable ride to the Game Shop. It was probably a good thing traffic was light and the trip short because Yugi might have expired otherwise. Kaiba was fairly certain the smaller boy hadn't breathed once since entering the car.

Once to the shop, everyone piled out and expressed thanks for the ride. Kaiba waved it and the second car off. When the group finally shuffled up to the door, but hesitated on going in, Kaiba looked back to see Jounouchi had yet to move. He scowled, sat back down in the car and kicked the front seat with all the power his long legs could muster. "Quit being a petulant child. You asked for the day off, so go spend it like you meant to!"

"Fuck off!" Jounouchi turned to glare. "I'd rather live in a kennel for a week than spend the rest of the afternoon with them all over the case for somethin' I didn't do." He turned back and slid further down. "You probably don't believe me, either, do you…"

"You know the conditions for my trust," Kaiba deflected. "I know this may come as a shock, but I would like to get home sometime this afternoon. Mokuba's waiting for me."

"Then far be it for me to keep His Majesty away." Jounouchi grabbed his stuff and kicked the door open.

Kaiba growled and stood with him, grabbing his arm to force him back up against the car. "Calm down before you hurt yourself. They're harping because they're worried. Do you know how many stupid, useless questions I ask when it concerns my little brother?"

"They're actin' like I can't do anythin' for myself," Jounouchi hissed back, the anger finally dissolving enough to let the frustration and hurt show through. "I'm not some invalid. I took care of myself for years before this."

"No one is saying you can't take care of yourself. They're just doing what they've always done when threatened - protecting one of their own. It was _you_ those rejects were trying to drag into a fight, and they almost succeeded. If the bullshit they were spouting was true, would there have only been two? Would they have left the ones who got in the way standing?" Jounouchi reluctantly shook his head. "You're friends just saved you from making a very stupid mistake. Go thank them and get over it."

The blond seemed very tired as he pushed away from the car. Kaiba moved aside to let him pass, only to feel Jounouchi's hand on his shoulder. He was graced with weak smile. "Thanks," Jounouchi said softly. Kaiba found himself smiling back and nodded. He watched Jounouchi walk up and be accepted back into the ranks before returning to the car.

"Where to, Shacho-sama?"

"Home."

***

Yugi yawned and stretched out over the counter. Somehow, summer break had snuck up on everyone, though it was a welcome relief. Since the incident at the school gate, they had all been on high alert. There had been no second confrontation. Jounouchi was still stalked from time to time, but had managed not to confront anyone about it. In fact, he'd only gotten into one fight in the last month, and that had been unavoidable since it had been with his dad. At least, it was the only fight Jounouchi had told them about…

He shook his head to displace the thought. Jounouchi had no reason to lie. The constant questioning on the matter had only spurred on the blond's volatile temper and stubborn nature. There was currently a protracted argument with both Honda and Anzu that had left Jounouchi pointedly ignoring them now. Which meant he hardly came by the store anymore, and when he did, it wasn't for very long. He was becoming quiet and withdrawn, but there seemed little to do for it except wait for everything to blow over. Until everyone calmed down, there was no point in trying to work it out.

Absently, he tugged at the chain around his neck. It had been Jounouchi's gift for his birthday - a replica of the centerpiece of the Sennen Puzzle. The piece that had started their friendship. The charm was about half the size of the original, but it was well detailed. When it had been handed over, Jounouchi had laughed that he'd never made a better mistake in his life, stealing it so long ago. This had been the reason behind his trips to the warehouse district. A friend's brother was apparently the metalsmith who had crafted it.

"I haven't been a very good friend," he said softly, playing with it.

"The wonderful thing about friendships," Suguroku said, startling his grandson, "is that when they hit their rough spots, you know how meaningful the relationship is." He patted Yugi on the back. "Worrying about Jounouchi-kun again?"

Sighing, Yugi slipped the necklace back under his shirt. "I just wish there was something I could do, something I could say to make him feel better again. This whole thing has turned into such a mess."

"I take it that you haven't figured out your puzzle yet?"

"I'm missing something." He pulled out the small pile of note cards that he'd taken to writing down all the things he'd thought important about the many different confrontations Jounouchi had been in during the last year. Half of the cards were arranged into a pattern on the counter while the rest were set off to one side. "I know it's something simple, something that I should be able to see, but can't for some reason."

Suguroku glanced over the cards. "You suspect Kaiba-kun of all this?"

"No. It's just that the pattern starts there, in October when Kaiba-kun came back. That's when Jounouchi-kun's personality first broke."

"Saa. And what that pile there, then?" He pointed to the discarded pile. Yugi handed over the dozen or so cards.

"Things I can't fit into this, but feel like they're important anyway."

After looking back and forth for a minute, Suguroku carefully placed a few of the remaining cards. "It seems to me that you're missing the trees for the forest."

Yugi frowned. "I am? Isn't that the other way around?"

"Don't look at the events themselves, look at the dates." His grandfather reached out and rearranged the pattern slightly, taking away most of the cards and only replacing a few. "Now, you say this starts with Kaiba-kun's return, but I'd bet this shop that it goes back further. What do the dates say?"

The frown deepened. Most of the cards were gone, the remained ones lined up in a vertical line. In fact, the only cards left at all were the times Jounouchi had spent the night somewhere else because he couldn't go back to his apartment. And according to the dates… "He fights with his dad at least once a month."

"Not just once a month," Suguroku said, pointing to the time stamps, "but almost always the same days, mostly at the beginning of the month. There are secondary fights that group together, too. Even stakes says these are days a check is cashed."

"They fight over money?"

"What other business would force them together? You of all people should know how hard he tries to disassociate himself from his parents. But here's the interesting thing." He moved the cards again, this time into a horizontal line before adding the remaining cards according to their dates. Yugi's eyes widened as realization struck.

With the exception of the last month, the number of fights had slowly been increasing at the rate of two a month. Those were just the big fights, too. If he counted all the little scuffles in between, it was more like three or four. He had known it was getting worse, but having it laid out like this made it feel overwhelming. "It's spiraling." Yugi sat down heavily on the stool kept behind the counter and just stared. "How?" he finally asked, eyes flickering to his grandfather. "How could I have missed something like this?"

"The pattern within the pattern can sometime be hard to see. You get busy with one and never notice the other. Besides, you've been busy concentrating on everything else, the immediate aftermath. I doubt anyone else ever noticed the regularity of his fights with his father, let alone the number of fights overall."

"Who would do something like this? Why would someone go out of their way to hurt him?"

Suguroku shrugged. "Not everyone is as kind and understanding as you. Jounouchi-kun has done a lot in his young life some people would find reprehensible, things he'd need to be punished for even if he's not that person anymore." He patted Yugi's shoulder. "Go ahead and close up the shop for the day. Isn't Malik and that friend of his supposed to be here soon?"

Yugi smiled and nodded. "Thanks, grandpa," he said with a hug. Suguroku chuckled and returned the hug before going back inside the house. Yugi quickly gathered up the cards, careful to keep them in order before going about the business of closing for the night. However, it was difficult to focus on his tasks when his mind wanted to race over so many other things.

So it was only with half an ear that he heard the front door chime.

" _Irashaimase_!" he called out automatically, turning from his cleaning. "I'm sorry, but-"

All thoughts froze as he tried to take in the scene before him. Malik grinned like a fool and nudged his friend, who took a shy step further in and smiled warmly.

" _Tadaima_ , _aibou_."

* * *

To be continued.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for the chapter include the ever coveted summer break. In Japan, summer break goes from about July 21 to August 28th. That's five and a half weeks according to my calendar and that's the story I'm sticking with. This isn't mentioned outright, but Mokuba's birthday is July 7th (a point in time that has already passed), which oddly enough would have been my birthday if I had been born at the correct time. You'll also notice that at one point Kaiba uses the Western Standard of given name before family name while the others will still place the family name first. This is not a mistype, as I assume that being the head of a world-known company, Kaiba would address important people in the manner they would be used to. In this case, Atem is addressed by his given name first. I'm not really sure if this is how it works in Egypt, but I'm too lazy do any heavy research on the matter.
> 
> Oh, and Atem's last name doesn't really mean anything. At least, I wasn't trying for it to mean something. It just sounded pretty when it slipped out of my mouth, so I went with it.

The light knock on his office door startled Kaiba out of his thoughts. A glance at the clock told him it couldn't be the twins; they would have gone home hours ago. Mokuba always called when he was moving from one location to another, and the last call had been to say he was going home. The building had been closed down for the night and security would have use the intercom. He tensed as the door opened without his permission, hand straying to the open desk drawer beside him and the gun lying inside.

He heaved an audible sigh when a blond head poked in. "What the hell do you want, Jounouchi?" he asked, quietly closing the drawer.

"Um… Can I hang out here for a while?" Jounouchi stepped fully into the room, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I mean, I know you're workin' and everythin', but I really need a place to hang out for a couple more hours…"

Kaiba glanced back down at the clock. Nearly 22:00, which meant he'd been programming for at least four hours straight. He could use a break. He waved the other in and stood up. "Something to drink?"

"Yeah, whatever's fine."

He tossed Jounouchi one of the sparkling juices Mokuba kept before grabbing something a little harder for himself. Glass in hand, he took a seat opposite his impromptu guest. When Jounouchi recoiled back into the couch, Kaiba frowned down at his drink. Even the lightest beer had more alcohol in it that the mix in his glass. One could barely taste anything, let alone smell something.

"Sorry," Jounouchi apologized. "You'd think after all this time, I'd be immune…"

"It's not going to bother you, is it?"

"It's your damn office. Drink whatever you want."

They sat in silence for a while, both content to ponder their drinks without distraction. Slowly, Jounouchi relaxed from whatever tension had been plaguing him, though it was obvious he was still brooding about something. Kaiba waited patiently, taking small sips and watching, until all of the sudden he was at the bottom of his class. With a mental curse, he stood again and retrieved a bottle of juice for himself.

"Is there a reason you're breaking your curfew?" he finally asked after sitting back down. "Or did Mokuba send you after me?"

Jounouchi chuckled. "You're paranoid."

"Keeps me alive another day. And you have no idea how devious Mokuba can be when he wants something."

"I'm sure his teacher was the best," the blond said with a wry grin.

Kaiba snorted and tried to look indignant, which only caused Jounouchi to crack up. Finally seeing him relax enough to laugh brought a small smile to Kaiba's face. He'd missed much of the melodrama since the standoff at the school gate nearly a month ago. After dropping everyone off at the Game Shop, he had gone home and spent the next two weeks catering to almost every whim his little brother had. He'd returned to school just in time for end of semester tests. From there, it had been into overdrive at work for the summer season. Instead of his load lightening because of Mokuba's full-time involvement, it had only gotten worse, so all interactions thus far had been purely professional. This laid-back exchange, he decided, was much better.

If someone had told him a year ago he'd willing let Jounouchi not only into his office, but that he would be trying to make the man smile, Kaiba would have had them hauled off to the nearest mental facility. When had his perception changed?

They talked about nothing for a little while, teasing every chance that was presented while Kaiba slowly worked his way back around to the question Jounouchi had so deftly sidestepped earlier. "You're not still fighting with Honda and Masaki, are you?" he asked when the timing seemed right. He almost regretted asking, watching the good mood slip away from Jounouchi's face.

"I guess Anzu and I made up. She never did apologize, but she got on Honda's case the other day for badgerin' me, which I suppose is close enough. He's still bein' a prick about it, though."

"Then why are you here, Jounouchi?" he asked softly.

Jounouchi got a small, sad smile and closed his eyes. "Because two's company and three's a crowd," he finally said, standing. He walked to the windows, throwing away his empty juice bottle as he went. Kaiba just watched, confused, but before he could question, Jounouchi continued. "Atem was the friend Malik brought with him." He let out a course laugh as he glanced back. "Guess reincarnation really does work."

"Impossible," Kaiba responded, feeling something cold sliding into his gut. He shifted uncomfortably.

"Then we're all tripin' pretty hard on somethin' we didn't know we were takin'. Honestly, after the whole mess, nothin' really surprises me anymore."

"Shouldn't you be out celebrating then?" Kaiba's voice was cooler than he wanted, than he meant, and Jounouchi's expression became sadder.

"We did. That's when Anzu laid into Honda." He turned his back to the window, leaning against it with a sigh. "I know I could go over there right now and neither of them would bat an eye; they'd be happy to invite me in and include me in whatever they're doin'. Really, though, I'd just be in the way. Everyone can make all the jokes they want about 'Yuu-Jou.' The truth is Atem did what I never could: he took away Yugi's loneliness. No matter how hard I tried then, or now, I always come up short. There was never anythin' I could do but sit and wait."

Jounouchi's eyes shifted back to Kaiba, who still felt like someone had slipped a knife between his ribs. "He's not the same guy you fought in Battle City last year. He's got the same looks, the same voice, but a different set of memories. He maybe remembers a third of everythin' that happened with us, names and places and dates…"

"The time paradox you're talking about can't exist," Kaiba insisted. "You can't jump one year in time and have a lifetime worth of memories."

"Except that three years ago, Erdra Atem was involved in a car accident that left him in a coma and when he woke up, he remembered us as well. Look, I know it doesn't make a lot of sense. It makes my brain hurt and I understand more about this stuff than a lot of people. But if Yugi and Ryou and you were reincarnations, why wouldn't Atem's soul be a candidate when it was finally released?"

"I heard this same line from Isis when she handed over Obelisk. I'm telling you the same-"

"You weren't there!" Jounouchi snapped, the force of emotion behind his voice stilling the CEO. "I saw it, saw you, save that girl that became the Blue-Eyes. Even in a room with a thousand clones, I'd know _you!_ " He seemed ready to say more, but clenched his jaw shut instead.

It suddenly occurred to Kaiba that Jounouchi was experiencing the same sickening tilt to the world that he was. They were both uncertain about their positions within the group dynamic, reacting to the threat that was causing the disturbance. The only real difference was that Kaiba knew his reaction was based on unsettled feelings towards the one who'd thrown his whole world into chaos. Jounouchi, who was already dealing with the distrust of the others, now faced the fear of abandonment.

Directly on the heels of that thought was the realization that of every person the other could have gone to, Jounouchi had come _here_ , to him. There were very few things Kaiba regretted, but right now, he sincerely regretted ever bringing the subject back up. When he tried to say something, Jounouchi beat him to it.

"I'm sorry. You're busy and I've taken up enough of your time." With very determined steps, Jounouchi strode over to the still open decanter, poured some into Kaiba's discarded glass and drained it in one long gulp. He gave Kaiba's wide-eyed look a sardonic smile. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

The warning bells going off in Kaiba's mind told him he needed to stop the other before he got out of the room, out of the building, out of reach. But for the life of him, he couldn't move or make a sound. Just like that first day back from America, something in Jounouchi's eyes shut him down, this time leaving him stunned for a much longer period. He cursed very loudly when he finally got his wits together to call and have security detain Jounouchi when he left, only to be told that no one had walked through the doors since the building shut down earlier that evening.

***

For three weeks, Jounouchi had fallen off the radar. Kaiba had been the last person to him and Kaiba Corp surveillance revealed the blond had disabled an alarm on one the fire escapes to make his mysterious entrance and exit into the night. When he had been reported missing to the police, Shibuya and Inoue had resurfaced as well. The former at least seemed earnest in his attempts to gather information. Detective Inoue, on the other hand, seemed to think the dirt under his fingernails was more interesting. It left a bad taste in everyone's mouth, but there was nothing to do for it.

At least, until Yugi got a phone call. It was the middle of the fourth week when he burst into Kaiba's office, trailing a small contingency of security staff. "I need your help, Kaiba-kun," he said breathlessly. "He called me."

Kaiba tried to rub away the headache that was forming. When had the solid oak door of his office turned into a revolving door anyone could walk through? With a curt order, he threw everyone else out and turned to face Yugi, only to be confronted with a dual image. There was only a second of confusion before the differences separated the two enough in his mind that the second wasn't simply a weird trick of his vision.

Like the Matsudera twins, they were almost carbon copies. The "false" Yugi's skin was slightly darker, with a firmer mouth and sterner eyes colored the same dark red-purple as a pomegranate. Like Yugi's hair, which held the same purple tint as his eyes, the second's was red and had the corresponding blond streaks. Hair notwithstanding, they both stood as tall as Kaiba's shoulder (when had Yugi grown?). Kaiba found himself studied in return, their eyes meeting when both were finished. There was a combination of curiosity, acknowledgment, and understanding in those red eyes and he wondered what his own blues reflected.

"Atem Erdra," he said, subconsciously straightening his stance.

Atem straightened up as well, chin lifting as if trying to make up for the difference in height. "Kaiba Seto."

They stared at each other for another breath longer as something seemed to click into place for both of them. Jounouchi's words came back to him - _He's not the same guy._ Something else shifted and the knife was gone. Kaiba focused his attention onto Yugi.

"He did what? Why now?"

Atem stepped forward a little at Kaiba's harsh tone, but Yugi was already babbling on. "I got this call from a number I didn't recognize, so I just let it go to my voice mail. When I was listening to it later, all I could hear was some scuffling and something I couldn't make out, but they definitely said his name at the end!"

While he'd been talking, Yugi's fingers had been busy with his cell phone. He handed it to Kaiba, who obligingly took it and pressed it to his ear. The sound was badly muted, as if the sending phone had been in a pocket or far away, but there was the unmistakable noise of a fight. There was a bit of shouting involved, most of which only sounded garbled to him, a heavy thump, and then, very clearly, "Not playin' fair, Jounouchi" before the message cut off.

Kaiba replayed the message, closing his eyes to better concentrate on what he was hearing. When it finished the second time, he tossed the phone back to its owner as he stripped out of his suit jacket and tie. He hit the intercom on his desk, barking orders to the secretaries while he pulled out his gun. After a quick once over of the weapon, he motioned Yugi and Atem to follow. Neither woman seemed disturbed as their boss walked out of his office with a loaded weapon in his hand and ice in the air around him. Akiko spoke rapidly into the phone as Yukiko appeared with a shoulder holster and a coat that would hide said accessory. He shrugged into both while waiting for the elevator.

"Kuroda-sama will meet you there!" Akiko sang out, slapping the phone down long enough to reset the line before dialing another number.

Yukiko hand over two extra clips as the three stepped into the elevator. "Bring him back, Seto-sama."

Kaiba nodded as the door closed and picked up his own cell phone. "Mokuba, are you still at Development?"

"Yeah, we haven't-"

"Are the satellites still down?"

"That's what I just tried to-"

"Good. Keep them that way. Get some techs together, ones you trust. I'm going to need sound analysts and a cell phone trace. We'll be there in ten."

"Hai, nii-sama."

"Kaiba-kun…" Yugi said nervously.

Kaiba finally looked back to the two with him and sighed, leaning against the wall. "I'm the one who let him go. He came to me and I let him walk out when I knew I shouldn't."

"No one blames you," Atem said.

"They don't have to," Kaiba responded as the elevator stopped on the ground floor. They stepped out into a small crowd of men and women in black suits, who all fell into step as they made their way to the front doors and the cars waiting beyond. The ride was quick and quiet, and when they reached the building that proudly proclaimed to be Kaiba Corporation's Research and Development Headquarters, Mokuba was waiting with another small mob of black suits. Only one of those suits followed back inside.

They all crammed into a room that looked like it had been forgotten. On the back wall was a large screen. Two desks flanked it, each with three separate computer set-ups. The rest of the space was taken up with metal shelves, filled with different computer parts. While Mokuba was filled in on the situation and listened to the message, his older brother began booting all the usable machines.

"Sound analysis is going to take a while, nii-sama," Mokuba said as he jacked in the phone to one of the computers. "It's pretty messed up."

"Location first," Kaiba replied. "Then we can worry about who did what."

Mokuba frowned. "Are we really going to need all four bots?" he asked. Kaiba just looked at him. "Right. Speed, not finesse."

"What you see here is the last remnants of Kaiba Corp's arms dealing days," the remaining black suit explained quietly once the two brothers had settled into their work. " _Hajimimashite_. Head of Kaiba-sama's personal security, Kuroda Takeo," he said with a smile that somehow managed to be disarming and hostile at the same time. He probably stood about as tall as the elder Kaiba with coal black eyes and equally dark hair that ran down almost to his waist. Unlike several of the others who were noticeably muscular despite the well-tailored clothes they wore, nothing about Kuroda's body type was noticeable other than his height. Yugi and Atem introduced themselves as well. " _Douzo yoroshiku_."

"Cell phone was bought a month ago, disposable, cash," Mokuba said, fingers tapping at the same speed as his brother. "It's only been used a couple of time, only one out going call. Tracing that call…"

"It's not responding. Probably broken and trashed," Kaiba responded, sliding his chair to the next computer in line. "Tracing incoming calls…"

"There's five towers that picked up calls from disposable phones matching ours." Mokuba turned and pointed his mouse at the large screen. It blinked on, showing a map of Domino and the corresponding cell towers.

Kaiba paused and looked up. "No background noise in the message."

"Good-bye downtown and harbor. Three left."

"Low population areas, otherwise someone would have found him already," Kuroda supplied. Another marker disappeared. "And both the industrial area and the warehouse district have enough abandoned buildings that he could be anywhere."

"Hirutani used an old machine shop," Yugi piped up. "It's been abandoned for a while. The roof was in shambles and there was a lot of rusting metal barrels and scrap there."

"But there's no guarantee," Kuroda said. "Especially if it's a known location. Forgive me for saying so, but it's been almost a full month. Whoever took Jounouchi-san is not going to ransom him off; they're going to kill him. The fact that he's not dead now is because there's probably something they want from him relatively desperately. We storm the wrong location, we could tip them off. They could move him anywhere any number of times and we'd never find him, provided they don't kill him out right somewhere along the way. Even splitting our force, it's too much territory to cover."

Everyone looked at Kaiba, who focused on the computer screen in front of him, trying to process everything. He finally looked at Yugi. "How sure are you that Hirutani was the one who took him?"

Yugi hesitated, obviously going through all the information again. He nervously played with the chain around his neck. When he finally met and held Kaiba's gaze, there was no trace of doubt. "Hirutani took him. He's not behind this, but he definitely took Jounouchi-kun."

"Then take us there." Kaiba stood and addressed Mokuba. "If _one_ of the bots goes off, you pull the plug. Until then, keep tracing the incoming calls and working on the message. Call if you get anything."

Mokuba nodded and latched onto him with a tight hug. "Be careful, nii-sama."

Kaiba returned the hug, ruffling his brother's hair. "I'll call in an hour."

Another black suited guard took up a position in the room when they left. Yugi explained the route to Kuroda, who then translated it into a plan for the rest of the cars. Seven cars left from Research and Development, but only two arrived together in the industrial zone. The other five had peeled off at different points. Kuroda stopped the cars a good several blocks from the suspected building and looked at his watch. "Two minutes until everyone's in position." He turned in his seat and looked at Yugi and Atem.

"They're coming," Kaiba said before Kuroda opened his mouth. Kuroda gave a small nod.

"You two stay behind Kaiba-sama; that's where you'll be safest," he said. "Follow any instructions my people may give you without hesitation. In a minute, we're going to sweep the area towards the building. You wait until someone says 'Clear' at least twice before going anywhere. Understood?" Both teens nodded. "Good. On your mark, Kaiba-sama."

Kaiba nodded and got out of the car. Everyone else followed. Two guards from the second car stayed behind while Kuroda lead the rest forward. The entire area was silent.

"A bit excessive?" Atem finally said, still looking after the others.

"Unknown enemy type and number is not something to be underestimated," one of the guards said. "Like bringing a knife to a gun fight…you'll only end up looking like swiss cheese."

Yugi's nervous look had returned when Kaiba pulled out his gun again, checking it once more. "I do know how to use this," he said, trying to be reassuring.

"Yeah, every Wednesday night he kicks our asses at the range," the other guard said. "The only one who's a better shot is Kuroda-senpai."

"You're not going to actually shoot someone, are you?" Yugi blurted out.

"As much pleasure as that would bring me," Kaiba said, clicking the safety off, "I don't want it to come to that. We get Jounouchi, we grab anyone who may be involved, we go home. In that order."

"Yes, sir!" The guards saluted smartly, earning a mildly irritated look. Kaiba then turned and began walking in the direction Kuroda had disappeared.

It was a leisurely pace. If it wasn't for the tension and the scenery, they may as well been wandering through a park. They only paused once when someone shouted, "Stop!" and a shot was fired. The sound of feet running away could be heard, along with several other people's shouts. One of the female guards then approached them and reported that the building was clear and that several subjects had been subdued. Kuroda met them at the shop entrance.

"We encountered four individuals on premise, three more on the way in. One rabbited; A and C are pursuing now." Kuroda stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Kaiba-sama, we found no one matching Jounouchi Katsuya's description."

Though he was obviously trying to keep that news between the two of them, Yugi must have overheard something because he suddenly bolted into the building, Atem not far behind. With a curse, Kaiba and Kuroda followed.

Guards had been posted at every viable means of entry while several more watched over a whining cluster of people off to one side. Others were carefully going over the entire area. A few startled at the unexpected entrance, but settled back as soon as Kuroda waved them off. Yugi stood in the middle of the floor, whirling wildly as he looked about. Atem finally caught a hold of him, saying something softly.

"No!" Yugi said, tears in his voice. "No. He has to be here! He has to be! I…" Whatever Atem said next brought the tears out and Yugi crumpled to the floor, sobbing into the chest of the one who held him. Kaiba turned away from the private moment and noticed many of the other guards do the same. Some even moved to become a human wall against the captives' prying eyes. Kaiba took a deep breath himself, closing his eyes as he tried to figure out the next move. However, the dull ache in his chest would not be ignored. Kuroda was right; there would be no second chance. He'd given up secrecy for power and, once again, power had failed him. A mistake he was apparently doomed to make no matter what he tried.

A loud disturbance outside crashed into his thoughts. Hog-tied and being carried by four of the larger men was a man who could only be Hirutani. He matched Yugi's description as well as the voice on the message, even though the only thing that came out of his mouth now was terribly unimaginative cursing. Finally growing tired of some form of "fuck" every third word, the woman leading turned and cuffed him hard on the back of his head. Hirutani was then unceremoniously dropped.

"Fuckin' bitch," he wheezed.

She gave him a swift kick in the ribs and then dug her heel into a spot between his shoulder blades. "That's Miss Bitch to you, ass wipe."

"Don't kill him before he can answer our questions, Asahina," Kuroda said, though it wasn't the least bit authoritative or scolding. She ground her boot one more time to make her point before stalking off. Kuroda motioned to the men still standing by. They picked Hirutani back up, adjusting the bonds so that he was still retrained, yet could sit up on his knees without assistance.

"You the asshole in charge?" Hirutani demanded as soon as he saw Kaiba. "You fucked up big time comin' here. When we get done with you-" He cut off abruptly when Kaiba's gun pressed to his forehead.

"This will be our only meeting," Kaiba assured coldly. "I have killed more powerful men than you over far less. So you either tell me what I want to know and you leave Domino in one piece. Or you don't, and Asahina takes you apart so thoroughly that you simply disappear from existence." He pulled the hammer back with deliberate slowness. "Now where is he?"

"I don't know what you're talkin' about."

"Jounouchi Katsuya. Where is he?"

Hirutani grinned, showing that he was missing several teeth. "You're never gonna find him, not a roach like that." He laughed, but still flinched when the gun fired. The round had been shot between his knees. Kaiba pressed the hot metal tip back to Hirutani's forehead.

"The next one's in the balls, since that's the part that seems to think for you." Kaiba cocked the gun again. "Where is he?"

"In hell, where he belongs."

"Kaiba!" Atem shouted before he had the chance to pull the trigger a second time. With a disgusted look at Hirutani, Kaiba lowered and disengaged the gun. Atem waved him over to a pile of junk Yugi was inspecting. "The entire place is too clean," he said when Kaiba was close. "And they are not the types to play house."

"Point. Now."

"This pile of junk is too neat," Yugi said. "Everything else was dumped. This was placed. And I remember there being a door over here somewhere."

As tempted as he was to say a pile of junk, by definition, could not be neat, Kaiba cast a glance at the other things that had been left behind. The formation did seem more organized, but not overly so. The more cynical part of him wanted to say Yugi was just grasping at air now, desperate for something to give him hope. Instead, Kaiba pointed to a group that was just standing around. "Move it," he ordered.

After all, he was grasping at air, too.

With so many to help, the blockage was soon cleared, revealing the door Yugi had mentioned. Everyone went back into guardian mode as Kuroda checked the door, which was locked. Impatience set in as the lock was broken and the guards swept in. Finally, the pre-requisite two "clear!"s came through. Kaiba swallowed his heart back down and entered.

The room was dark, hot, and reeked of blood and sweat. What little light there was leaked in through gaps in the boarded windows, casting everything in a dingy half-light. It may have been a break room once, or a storage locker. Thieves had long ago stripped out anything of value. Flashlights were handed out as the room was given a thorough check.

"Definitely signs of a fight here," Kuroda said, shining his light onto a particularly large patch of blood. "It's all over the place. But here's the weird thing…" The light slid over to a half-eaten container of food. Kaiba frowned. Why feed a prisoner they were trying to kill?

A sudden cry of alarm was answered with several curses and guns being drawn. All of the flashlights honed onto a figure that had appeared seemingly from nowhere. Kaiba lowered his weapon in surprise, giving him enough time to catch Yugi as the boy tried to dash by.

"Katsuya!"

Jounouchi stood perfectly still, fists curled tightly at his sides, every muscle tensed for action. His clothes, or what was left of them, were the same as when he'd left Kaiba Corp so long ago. His jeans were ripped and stained to the point they could barely be called pants anymore. The shirt was gone, probably stripped into pieces to bind wounds, and his bare feet which had only a few pieces of cloth to protect his instep. Gruesome looking bruises and abrasions were only half-visible under the sweat-streaked grime and dirt covering pale skin. Kaiba blinked when he recognized the low sound humming in his ears was Jounouchi growling. He looked absolutely feral with his teeth slightly bared, hazy eyes glaring out from under messy bangs-

It clicked. They weren't trying to kill him, they were trying to stress him into blind rage. And they were succeeding.

"Drop your weapons," he hissed. "Now!" he ordered when the suits hesitated.

"Kaiba-sama-"

"Get out," he interrupted. "Quietly, slowly, and don't turn your back to him. Leave us the flashlights." The half dozen guards did as they were told, carefully exiting. Jounouchi stopped growling, but didn't relax. Kaiba eased his grip on Yugi. "Be careful. They've been trying to recreate his berserker reaction." Yugi gave him a horrified look, but Kaiba kept his eyes on the blond. He had only a vague idea of what to expect, but knew that his own presence was probably more of a hindrance than a help. Many things he was, a passive, comforting presence he knew wasn't one of them.

They stood there for a while, watching, waiting. Atem moved first. He stepped forward smoothly, no tension or aggressive overtones in his posture. His face and eyes were carefully neutral, though he still radiated that overwhelming self-confidence that made him a game master. Jounouchi's attention focused in on him. Kaiba noticed Atem purposefully stayed away from the food and just far enough to the side so that the other had no problems keeping all three of them in view. He advanced until Jounouchi started growling again.

"Katsuya," he said softly, holding very still without being tense. The growling stopped. "Katsuya, you told me that no matter what, we would always be friends. It didn't matter who I was, where I was from, or where I was going. You called me your friend until the end of all things. Even when I doubted, or wanted to give up, your spirit moved me forward." He extended a hand. "Come back now with me, Katsuya, my closest friend. Come back into the light you gave me."

For as sappy as the words were, they were having the desire effect. The blank hostility in Jounouchi's dark gold eyes melted away, as did the rigidity in his body. It was obvious that adrenaline had been the only thing holding him upright. Trembling violently, he barely managed half a step before collapsing. Somehow, Atem caught him, and then Yugi appeared beside him. Jounouchi clung to them, body heaving as he breath became sobs. Yugi and Atem took in the pain, wrapping themselves around their friend.

At length, Kaiba moved forward as well, his gun left behind and his coat in hand. Carefully, he draped it over the three huddled together. He let his hand rest lightly on Jounouchi's hair. "Take as long as you need," he said gently. "We're not going anywhere."

* * *

To be continued.


	15. Chapter 15

Since leaving a loaded weapon in his hand was inviting him to shoot someone, Kaiba passed his gun off to Kuroda as he exited the room. The industrial area was not known for being the cleanest place in town, but it didn't make people's skin crawl by simply breathing. Even if he showered in scalding hot water for a week and scrubbed away three layers of skin, it wouldn't be enough to get that room off of him. And he'd only been in there for minutes. Jounouchi had been in there for weeks. Hirutani had been right - it was hell.

"I want the names of everyone involved," he said to Kuroda, though his gaze was on Hirutani, who was still looking smug. "Tell Asahina to have fun. The labs are at her full disposal. She can do whatever she wants. Just make sure she cleans up this time."

"The others?"

"I'll wait with them, minimum guard. I don't want to press Jounouchi anymore than I have to."

"I'll arrange a private doctor and a secluded room with invisible security. Your hour's up. Call your brother." Kuroda moved away, rounding up his people and giving out new orders. Kaiba turned away to make his call.

"I was beginning to worry," Mokuba answered when the line picked up. " _Please_ tell me you found him…"

"We found him, alive and whole for the most part. Help Kuroda find and secure a doctor."

"A step ahead of you, nii-sama. I already texted the info to him and your driver. Guaranteed quiet and restful."

Kaiba felt his lips twitch into a smile. "That's my imp. Anything on the trace or message yet?"

"We're good, but we're not miracle workers. We got a digital copy of the message from the cell phone company. Yugi needs to switch providers, by the way, because that was really too easy. We're making copies now so that there's someone working on each different aspect.

"As for the trace, there were a total of five incoming calls, each from a different payphone. The only correlation is that these phones are inside several terminals serviced by the Meitetsu Line." There was a pause. "They knew what they were doing, nii-sama. If we can't track it-"

"-then no one can. I know. Just do your best. I'll call when we get to the hospital."

"Hai. Be careful."

He took a deep breath as the call ended. He felt tired and hollow now that things were starting to wind down. Slowly, the sea of black suits disappeared back into the shadows. Most of Huritani's gang seemed to understand it was in their best interests to cooperate and were talking rather animatedly to whomever would listen. They were peeled off from the group and lead away separately. _Cronies_ , Kaiba thought with a slight sneer. The ones who did all the work but got none of the reward…and therefore had no reason to be loyal when all hell broke loose. Despite their willingness to talk, their information would be mostly useless. No, the things he would need to know would come from the two that hurled abuse at the others, Hirutani and the one who was probably a second, or at least trying for the position. Eventually, someone gagged the two before they were hauled off as well. The silence left in their wake was most welcome.

Finally, when it was only Kaiba and the one bodyguard he couldn't argue Kuroda out of, Atem and Yugi appeared with Jounouchi held between them. With his arms wrapped around their shoulders, and their arms firmly around his waist, all three eased onto the main floor. For as bad as he had looked in the glare of a flashlight, the blond looked worse in natural light. He was wearing the coat Kaiba had left, so it was only the half-healed bruising on his neck and face that was visible. From that alone, Kaiba really wished he'd shot Hirutani.

Instead, he led them to the waiting car, which had been thoughtfully moved as close as space allowed. Jounouchi moved slowly, carefully, the clench of his jaw and his slow, purposeful breathing showing how much pain he was in, how badly he needed the support and stability Atem and Yugi were providing. He practically collapsed once he was in the back seat and was asleep within minutes, sprawled over the two teens that held him. It looked exceptionally uncomfortable for all those involved, but Kaiba had never seen Yugi happier.

***

It wasn't so much a hospital as it was a hospice that took Jounouchi. Just outside of Domino, cloistered in the mountains on the foundations of a long-since moved temple, the Kaminoki Hospice primarily served exhausted businessmen. Yet the setting brought enough terminally ill patients that it was well equipped to deal with most forms of emergency need. It also helped that Kaminoki was owned and operated by a subsidiary company Kaiba was involved with to see if his solid image technology could be applied to medical imaging equipment. That had been the price the Matsudera sisters had demanded for interviewing Jounouchi, the release of the programming he'd kept a stranglehold on since taking back his dream. At least their request had been open ended enough for him to choose who and where it was applied. It had been the only reason he'd agreed.

Since no one could tell how long the blond had been running off of adrenaline alone, the doctor rushed through standard protocol and gave Jounouchi a mild sedative with a healthy dose of pain killers. Surprisingly, the biggest problems were exhaustion and dehydration. There was some minor hairline fractures through his arms and hands, and had a partially torn ligament in one wrist. He was anemic and at risk for clotting issues because of the severity of his bruising, but nothing was horribly broken and all his organs were in working in condition. Even the fever he was running, though high, wasn't critical. All the various cuts and scrapes were flushed, medicated, and bound. A couple were going to leave interesting scars.

Once hooked up to an IV to start replacing lost fluids, Jounouchi was left to rest in a private suite of rooms. Yugi remained glued to his side with Atem beside him. Finally unnerved at seeing the two together, Kaiba left to make the necessary calls informing everyone of Jounouchi's condition. While there was no reason to think any of the others were directly involved in whatever the hell was going on, they did have a tendency to open their mouths at the wrong time. Yugi wasn't the only one feeling protective. It was highly unlikely that whoever was pulling the strings would try anything immediately, considering the prize was to invoke a rage reaction, but Kaiba's instincts screamed for discretion. So he endured the angry words Honda, Anzu, and Otogi, as well as the police, threw at him. Ryou was the only one to actually allow him to explain why and to agree. After that, he chose to remain outside for a while.

Atem joined him in the open air courtyard a while later. "Yugi finally wore himself out," was the explanation. They sat quietly, watching the shadows of evening grow.

Kaiba broke the silence first. "I know this is a bad idea, but I have to ask. How?"

Atem's gaze darkened and he studied Kaiba for a moment. "Will you listen without skepticism?" he asked softly. Kaiba snorted, but nodded anyway. Apparently deeming that as good enough, Atem drew one knee to his chest and settled. "In truth, I am not sure. I'm still adjusting to the weird jumps my memory makes. I know that I am Atem Erdra and that the scar on my left knee is from a tumble I took off a low wall when I was seven. I remember celebrating my twelfth birthday watching a meteor shower at Luxor, spending long hours in the museum vaults as my parents worked and every free hour I had spent running through the desert like it was my own backyard. I know that I am an average student who gets along with most people, that I qualify as a gamer geek, and that the car that struck ours was going too fast.

"Nine months ago, I woke up in a hospital and remembered all these things about my life, but I also remembered more. Places, names, and events that I could not have taken part in, speaking and reading a language that I only had a vague awareness of before. The doctors said disorientation was normal, considering how long I had been unconscious and the kind of trauma I had endured. They said that sometimes during long periods of unconsciousness, the brain can pick up on things going on around it from conversations, televisions, or radio broadcasts, and incorporate it as if the person was there. And since I had nothing to prove these names and places I now remembered were anything more than phantoms I picked up subconsciously, most people thought I was just trying to gain attention. I was seriously beginning to wonder if maybe I hadn't gone insane. Until I met Malik."

"Your parents?"

"Dismissed it all as stress. But since they work as preservation artists for the Cairo National Museum, they think it's wonderful that I've made friends with the younger brother of the Antiquities Director. It's the only reason they agreed to let me come here, because I would be traveling with him." He shifted so that he could look at Kaiba. "I was skeptical at first, too. It felt like I was intruding into someone else's life. But now that I'm here, and have spent time with Yugi, Katsuya, and everyone, I feel like I've found a piece of myself that was missing before." He sighed. "Now if I could just figure out how to get my parents to let me stay."

"Don't you have school?"

Atem laughed. "I missed three years - the whole of high school, practically. It would be easier to study and take a proficiency exam than to be a seventeen year old freshman."

"But why here?"

"I don't feel…connected to much of anything back home. Most of my friends have moved on with their lives, there's little hope of catching up to others my age and my parents are concerned with anything I do that may be 'stressful.' My life has stopped there, even though the doctors say I am as well as I will ever be. The accident haunts everything I do, lingering in the background and colouring everything I do. I may as well be a ghost…

"Here, people are happy to see me. I may not be the person they miss, but they welcome me all the same. I'm not just taking up space. I miss home, but it does not hurt the way the thought of leaving at the end of summer does."

They lapsed into silence as Kaiba slowly fleshed-out the idea tickling the back of his mind. He argued with himself for a minute before deciding it was at least worth a try. "You do remember Duel Monsters, don't you?" he finally asked.

Atem's eyes flashed, attentive and bright at the thought of a challenge. The small, confident smile that had always infuriated Kaiba finally made its appearance, leaving no doubt this was the one who had tormented him from the day they had met. "I remember you being very unhappy with me every time I beat you."

Kaiba felt a smirk grow on his lips. "Prove it," he said, even as he picked up the phone to get the necessary equipment.

He lost, but it was the most exhilarating duel he'd been in since Battle City. Kaiba felt like laughing for the pure joy of the moment even as his monsters vanished from the field and his duel disk shut down. He settled for smirking instead; it wouldn't do for insane laughter at this time of night, even if it was from relief.

As soon as the field was completely clear, he was pounced upon by his cheering section. "You were _so close_ , nii-sama!" Mokuba said, practically vibrating as he hugged his older brother. "I thought you _totally_ had him there at the end! Where did that card come from? I don't remember packing it…"

Gently, but firmly, Kaiba placed his hand on Mokuba's head, chuckling quietly. "Calm," he said, enjoying the face his brother made as he tried to hold still. Someday he'd figure out where all that energy came from and retire on the profits of marketing it. "And who knows where he pulled it from."

A glance over showed a similar scene. Yugi, having awoken somewhere in the middle of the duel, had come out to cheer along with Mokuba, who had been kind enough to deliver everything. Now, his classmate was laughing as he hugged Atem, who was blushing quite clearly despite the darkness. Cautiously, he hugged back. Kaiba sobered some as he remembered another part of his last conversation with Jounouchi. Even if he ignored the melancholy Yugi had exhibited during this horrible downward spiral with the blond, he didn't remember seeing this kind of happiness. Yugi had been happy, to be sure. Or rather, happy enough. But now, with Atem, it was unbridled joy.

"Nii-sama?" Mokuba asked in concern. Kaiba forced himself to smile and ruffled his brother's hair.

"Go get ready to go home." Mokuba frowned, a look that clearly stated 'you're not telling me something.' "In the car, imp."

When Mokuba finally relented, he walked over to the other two, who had untangled themselves from one another. Atem held out his hand, which Kaiba shook firmly, a move that seemed to surprise everyone, including him.

"I want to thank you for actually dueling me and not preaching the entire time about one thing or another," Kaiba said.

"Should I try harder next time, then?" Atem teased.

"Split your concentration like that and I'll easily grind into the dirt. You cheated."

"Selfless Sacrifice is a perfectly valid magic card."

"It was a last ditch gamble."

"One that worked, and that's all that counts." Atem paused, giving Kaiba a wary, yet curious look. "Isn't this where you're supposed to be mad?"

This time, Kaiba did laugh. "A lot can change in a year," he said. "And some things never do.

"There weren't stakes, but I'll ante up something anyway," he continued, becoming more serious. "You want to help Jounouchi? Show him how important he is to you. He feels like a third wheel, even if he won't tell you that to your faces. He needs you for stability and support, or everything he's tried so hard for is going to fall apart again. And next time, you might not be able to bring him out of it."

He didn't give them time to respond after that, turning sharply on his heel and walking away. He heard Yugi start to call after him, but Atem quieted the teen. After a quick check with the guards, Kaiba slumped into the back of the waiting car, feeling more tired than he remembered being in a long time. Mokuba was considerate enough to give him some quiet time during the ride home to let his thoughts settle. In fact, the only question he asked at all was, "Now what?"

"We find the bastard that started this whole thing."

***

"I'm sorry your trip didn't turn out as planned," Ryou said, accepting the dishes Malik brought him.

"Truthfully, I'm just glad to be out from under my sister's thumb for a while. I'm sorry there's so little I can do to help with everything here." He pointed to the leftovers from dinner. "What should I do with these?"

"There's some containers in the cabinet on your left. No, your other left," Ryou corrected when he reached for the wrong cabinet.

"Right, left. Which way do we go, Frog?" Malik grinned as Ryou snickered. It was a sound Malik found himself missing.

He half wished someone had told him what had been happening. He knew bringing Atem back to Domino would be stirring up a viper's nest. Some things were better left in the past and a lot could change in a year. But seeing the curiosity and desperation in Atem, the relief that there was someone who knew and understood what he was going through had broken any resistance. And Malik, reluctantly, admitted that even if he had known, he probably would have come anyway. Atem's reappearance had only been the excuse he'd used. After spending so much of his life tucked away from the rest of the world, and then having the absolute freedom to go wherever he chose whenever he wanted, it had been hard to settle again. Oh, he'd managed for a while, distracted by the slow dismantling of his Ghouls, their purpose finished. But that was out of his hands now. All he had left was following in Isis's footsteps as she did her job. The desire to go somewhere else and do something else had been building for a while.

So now he was in Japan, doing pretty much the same thing he did at home. Which was nothing.

Yugi had offered to let him stay at the shop, but Malik had declined, having already make arrangements to stay with Ryou. Atem and Yugi would need time to adjust and accept, a process made easier when few people were involved. Yet, it only seemed to complicate more lives. Maybe if he'd known-

"And people say I think too much," Ryou said, drying his hands on a towel. Malik snapped out of his daze, gave a weak smile, and handed over the containers of food. "Want to talk about it?"

"Just feeling guilty."

"For what?"

"Causing problems." He waved Ryou off when the other boy tried to protest. "I understand that none of this is my fault, that there's nothing I could have done to prevent what's happening and that my being here has no influence on current affairs. Believe me, I get it. Just don't tell my sister that the therapy is working." He grinned, trying to lighten the mood a little. Ryou obligingly giggled.

"So then, if your therapist is so good, why do you feel guilty?"

"Because I've seen the darkness Jounouchi is going up against," Malik said quietly. "For as black as my own darkness was, as blood thirsty and violent as he proved to be, there was a sense of self and the desire to preserve that self. Even the Spirit of the Ring, who wanted absolute destruction, understood timing and effect, when to advance and when to retreat.

"In the years that I held the Sennen Rod, I saw many monsters in the souls of men and women. I would play with them like chess pieces against one another whenever I was bored. But I was always in absolute control of the game." He paused, looking at his hands. "I could not control Jounouchi, only influence his conscious thoughts. That was the limit of my ability. And when I tried to push further, it was like being caught out in sandstorm. The demon inside Jounouchi doesn't care about anything, including itself. It's completely mindless, all destruction and pain for the sake of destruction and pain. Nothing short of death would stop it if it ever truly got free."

They had moved into the living room, curling up on the couch together. Now Ryou, sitting very calmly, soft brown eyes intent, asked, "Does it scare you?"

"Hell yes," Malik snapped, "but more for him than of him." He jumped to his feet and started pacing, suddenly unable to sit still. "Everyone has soul wounds. You haven't done anything with your life if you don't. But his are so deep…they still bleed so much… Even without the Rod, I can see the cracks, the little pieces that aren't there anymore. He won't break again. He'll shatter, Ryou, and nothing will put those pieces back together."

"I'm sure all this inner fighting with Honda-kun and Anzu-san hasn't helped," Ryou said thoughtfully. "But we all have cracks, and he's always been there to hold everyone together. We can hold him together until everything settles again."

"If that were true, would he and those two still be fighting?"

Ryou frowned. "Honda-kun's being an ass, I admit, but only because he doesn't know what else to do. Anzu-san, too. She only gets bossy when she's scared."

"And we all know how well Jounouchi takes orders…"

"It's not the most brilliant tactic to use where he's concerned, but what else are we supposed to do? We're not being told anything. Not that I blame Kaiba-kun for it because I think it's necessary, too. If anyone has the power to protect Jounouchi-kun, it's Kaiba-kun. Just like Yugi-kun and Atem-san can keep the pieces together."

Malik finally stopped pacing and flopped back onto the couch. If he knew how to answer Ryou's question, there wouldn't be a problem. But it also seemed unfair to pin hope solely on Kaiba, Yugi and Atem's shoulders. The traditional group reaction had failed, as had the instinctive individual reaction. Instead of bringing Jounouchi in like it did the others, each had only pushed him further away. There had to be a way to be confrontational without inciting an actual confrontation…

Then it hit him, and he felt like an idiot. He groaned at how simple the solution was, sitting right there in front of them, just waiting to be noticed. Of course Jounouchi was fighting them. Pride was the only thing the blond could claim as his own. Hasty, reactive words would only spike temper and ire. But carefully planned, thought-out words, on the other hand, those could take the sting out of what needed to be said. They could give voice to things that might otherwise go unsaid. There was still the potential to hurt, to still be rash, but given a few days to simmer, even the most spiteful diatribe could change into something civil.

"Hey. You think you can guilt everyone into meeting up somewhere tomorrow?"

"Why would I need to guilt anyone into anything?"

"Because what I have in mind requires cooperation on everyone's part, and you're too cute to resist," Malik grinned.

Ryou flushed. "Anou ne…"

* * *

To be continued.


	16. Chapter 16

"There's a Malik Ishtar and a Bakura Ryou to see you, Shacho-sama."

Kaiba stared at the intercom, trying to get his brain refocused. Too many days without enough sleep were starting to catch up with him. Had this been a normal situation, he would have questioned why they were here. Considering Honda, Masaki, and Otogi had already burst in without warning and his legal department was dancing with the police about Jounouchi, even his tired mind could make the logic leap. With a sigh, he dropped his pen and answered.

"Did the Underworld decide to spit you back out?" Malik asked once they were alone in the room. Ryou frowned and hit Malik's shoulder. Kaiba found that he did indeed have the energy to scowl still. He knew he looked like death warmed over. Long days and short nights with cackling ghosts tended to do that to a person. It didn't mean he was in the mood to be reminded, however.

"Say whatever the hell you're going to say and get out of my office," he growled, though even he admitted it was half-hearted sounding. "Jounouchi will come back to Domino when he's ready. Deal with it until then."

"We know, Kaiba-kun," Ryou said. "And we thank you for help and support, even if the others don't see it like that right now." He bowed. "But we have another favor to ask of you."

"This isn't going to involve a friendship rant or dissolve into petty name calling, is it?"

"We _agree_ with you," Malik said. "Why would we bust your ass for doing what we think you should?" Kaiba remained quiet. "Look, we're not going to ask what rock you shoved those three under, or when they're coming back, or anything like that. But you are the only person who does know anything at all, so you have to be the one to deliver these." Malik presented a neatly bundled stack of envelopes. Kaiba just stared at the offering.

"We may not be able to be with Jounouchi-kun right now, but we want to let him know we're here if he needs anything. Or even if he needs nothing, to know that we care, though we're not always good about how we show that," Ryou stated.

"And we already pre-screened everything," Malik added, "to make sure no one was being a bitch just because they could. Well, except that letter from his sister that was delivered to the shop the other day, but I wasn't going to open that."

Kaiba consider it for a long moment. He had never thought much about the effect Jounouchi's easy smile and fierce personality had on the people that surrounded him. There were easily fifteen envelopes in the stack, many of them stuffed obscenely full. There were just as many in the building currently that would do much the same, and those were just the people he knew. How many more would step up if the opportunity presented itself?

"One condition," he finally said. The two in front of him perked. "I deliver these and any response back, and the rest of you stay out of my building and my life until the end of the year. There was a time when people cowered before these doors. It's a time I'd like to see return."

"Done," Malik said. "Of everyone we have influence over, they won't come barging in."

"I want more than your word. I want signatures." He handed over a very simple piece of paper. "All over them, including yours, as stated at the top. Preferably in blood."

"And if they refuse to sign?"

"Then not only do their letters not get delivered, I authorize my security force to use any means necessary to keep them off my properties. This is a business, a fact that seems to have been forgotten. When I am here, I am conducting that business, regardless of whatever our standing is outside."

Malik gave him a considering look. "Anzu really pissed you off."

"Not just her," Kaiba grumbled, rubbing his temples. "I can't fight them, and the police, and protect Jounouchi while running this business and taking care of Mokuba. There are not enough hours in the day to do it all, though apparently someone wants to test that fact. I need this to be the last conversation on the matter."

"Can we use red ink instead?" Ryou asked, still looking over the paper. "Or maybe use a fingerprint with a signature next to it? Trying to write with blood just smears everything and gets blotchy, and most paper doesn't even absorb…" He trailed off as he noticed the stares he was receiving. "What?" he demanded, turning bright red. "Why does everyone stare at me like I've grown another head whenever I clarify something like that?"

Malik recovered first, turning to Kaiba with an amused smile. "We'll get your signatures. When will you go next?"

"End of the week."

"Friday, then. About this time, we'll bring this back." He waved the paper. "Come on, little one," he said, pulling at Ryou's arm. "Be feisty with someone who can appreciate it." The white haired boy started to protest, still a brilliant shade of pink, but did nothing to break out of Malik's grip. They both gave a short wave before closing the office door behind them.

Kaiba stared at the door. He blinked once, twice. "Freaks," he mumbled to himself, resting his head against the desk. "Nothing in my life has been normal, why would friends? This is why I didn't want friends…"

"You're mumbling again, nii-sama."

He lifted his head just enough to glare at his little brother. "I blame you for this."

Mokuba's eyes widened almost comically. "Why my dear brother, I know not of what you speak."

"I'm sure." Kaiba couldn't quite stifle the groan that welled up has he straightened. "Was there something I could help you with?"

"Here's the Sanada file you were looking for," Mokuba said, dropping the paperwork in his arms onto the desk. "There's also a legal debrief from the Yamato Foundation and I wanted to remind you of the presentation at 15:00. Fujitaka's outline is sitting here on top." After a moment's hesitation, he added, "Asahina asked to see you."

Besides Kaiba himself, only Kuroda knew exactly what Asahina's true occupation was. But Mokuba was an exceptionally intelligent child who had no doubt deduced what that job was and what it said about her employer. People who laughed at the nickname "Bloody Flower of Dawn" never realized it was title she took very personally.

"Thank you," Kaiba said quietly, reaching out to ruffle Mokuba's hair. Mokuba, however, ducked away and grabbed the hand, a serious look on his face. Kaiba waited patiently for whatever was to come next.

"You haven't eaten lunch, have you?" The young brother tsked, pulling the other to his feet. "It's bad enough that you insist on sitting there for twenty hours a day. Want to thank me? Take me out for something. I'm starving."

Akiko and Yukiko just smiled as he was dragged out of his office and pushed into the elevator. Traitors…

***

After pushing the food around his plate for the last ten minutes, Jounouchi decided it looked sufficiently eaten and pushed the plate away. Yugi would be disappointed that he hadn't eaten more; nothing was ever said aloud, but those eyes were a dead giveaway. It was hard to explain why the second biggest eater in the group (because Ryou was most definitely number one) suddenly had no interest in the meals set before him.

The truth was that he cared little for anything right now. All he wanted to do was sleep. Sleep, and forget that sooner than later he would have to leave the tiny safety he'd found in this room. Waking in an unfamiliar place had been disorienting, yes, but as soon as that feeling had worn off, he'd found a sort of blissful anonymity waiting for him. There was nothing here to tie him back to Domino or the life he held there. Here, he was just another convalescent, a nameless patient with no greater responsibility to attend to than his own comfort. No one here knew he was the product of a broken home, or that he could send people to the edge of death with his fists alone. No one cared that his grades sucked, or that he used to be a gang banger, or that he had been the bread winner at an age where most others were more concerned about the plague know as puberty. He hadn't thought much about those pressures before, but he'd been fighting too hard to keep from drowning to notice much of anything. Now, cloaked in the power of obscurity, he could see what the rest of the world saw…and he didn't know if it was something he could do again.

It would be so easy to slip out one night and never look back. A new name, a new place, somewhere as far from Domino as he would get - as far from the life he held here as possible. Life on the streets had taught him enough to get by until he found a place to settle. In less than six months, he'd be considered an adult almost anywhere he went and not subject to all the rules that bound him now. It would be hard work, creating a whole new existence for himself, but that was something he was used to by now. If he ran away and never looked back, he'd be completely free… He could just never come back.

For as forgiving as Yugi was, Jounouchi doubted that he'd be welcomed back after such a stunt. There was little hope for the rest of the group being anything except hostile if Yugi didn't accept him. More than that, it wasn't just his friends in the city he'd leave behind, he'd be leaving all the people he'd met through Duel Monsters. If he disappeared to start over, he'd have to give up dueling. Participating in a tournament would run too high of a risk of meeting people who'd recognize him. If he didn't give up the cards completely, the temptation would always be there. And then there was Shizuka. What could he ever say to his little sister that would make it okay for him to walk away, never to return? How could he ever hope to explain what he felt without making her cry? Would she try to understand and accept, or would she hate him for being so weak?

In short, he'd never again have any of the things that made getting up in the morning worthwhile.

Freedom and misery really wasn't more appealing that certainty and fighting, but he entertained the thoughts anyway. The cycling uncertainty and self-loathing distracted him from the deeper, darker things that he tried not think about at all. Like how easy it had been to fall back into the violence of his nature or how messed up his life was going to be once he decided to step outside, no matter which direction he actually took. How was he supposed to face the world when the one thing he wanted most was to hide from it?

There was a sharp knock at the door before it swung open. Even though he knew he was safe, that the only people allowed into the miniature haven were the ones he named, instinct forced Jounouchi to his feet, ready to fight. Without entering the room itself, Kaiba pushed the door wide and waited to be invited in. He was probably trying to look bored, like this was an annoying formality that couldn't be circumvented (which it couldn't; Jounouchi had already attacked the last person who had tried to enter without some sort of announcement), but he just looked tired and half dead. Jounouchi relaxed and sat back down. He'd gained back a lot of his strength in the last week, but he had absolutely no stamina. Kaiba apparently took that as permission and entered the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

He expected Kaiba to tell him his time was up, that he needed to stop stalling. However, the CEO said nothing. He frowned at the half-eaten plate instead. "Is the food not to your liking?"

"No, it's fine," Jounouchi replied, caught off guard by the question. "Just…don't have much of an appetite."

One of Kaiba's eyebrows twitched, as if to say, "oh really?" Yet again, he remained quiet, moving the plate back to the tray it had been served on. Then he sat in the chair opposite. Now it was plainly obvious how tired Kaiba was. The lines of fatigue and irritation made him seem twice as old as he should be. Jounouchi felt a wave of guilt. He'd only seen his classmate twice since waking up, but both Yugi and Atem were more than willing to share how involved Kaiba had been in his rescue and recovery. It was Kaiba's money and name that gave him the anonymity he had now, who acted as a shield so that the three of them could stay together and out of sight. School had started a week ago and he hadn't been seen for over a month in his apartment, so the police had to be pounding on the doors of everyone who knew him in an effort to find him. He'd mentioned it the last time he'd seen Kaiba, only to be told it was taken care of. But how much was that care costing?

Maybe it would have been better if he _hadn't_ been found…

"You're thinking too much," Kaiba said mildly.

"Just wonderin' when you're gonna kick my ass outta here, is all."

The frown returned. "You can stay here as long as you want. The decision of when to return to Domino is up to you."

"And if I don't want to go back?" the blond asked quietly, almost whispering.

Kaiba's eyes sharpened and he sat up a little straighter. "Do you have an idea of where you'd go and what you'd do there," he asked after a moment, "or is this just an idea you're toying with?" Jounouchi chose not to respond. Kaiba hummed in understanding. "If that's your decision, I ask that you give me three days to erase your presence and have more than 300 yen in cash on me."

Jounouchi felt his jaw drop. "You'd seriously just let me go?"

"I'm not your keeper. You're seventeen years old and perfectly capable of making your own decisions. My legal department could keep the police tied up for at least a year, which is more than enough time to melt into whatever shadow you chose. Like I said, when you decided to return to Domino is up to you. Never is a perfectly valid option.

"That being said, I don't think it would be the dumbest thing you'd done in your life, but it would be a close second."

He probably deserved that barb, but it touched a raw nerve. So Jounouchi snapped back, "And I suppose you think that throwin' enough money 'round is gonna solve all my problems?"

"Enough money in the right hands could solve a vast majority of the world's problems, or cause a thousand more. I learned that lesson very well from my predecessor," Kaiba snarled before exhaustion overwhelmed him again. "But money's the only thing I can offer you. Enough money to buy you whatever time you need, to give you the resources to do what you feel should be done, not what you're forced to do or put up with." He quieted even more. "I want to give you the chance I never had."

All Jounouchi could do was stare as Kaiba looked down and away, a hand coming up to rest over his mouth as if he was afraid it would say something he didn't want to be in the open. Just barely, the blond could make out, "What about you makes me lose my mind?" The comment was obviously not meant to be heard, but it did get the wheels turning in Jounouchi's head.

"Why are you doin' this?" he finally asked after a minute of silence. "Yugi and Atem have told me about all the trouble you went through to find me. In fact, they won't shut up about it. But you're the only one who can tell me why."

"You tell me," was the dark reply. "Why did you come to me before making your last stand? Why did you decide _my_ shoulders were broad enough to handle the weight of being the last person to talk to you, to bear your last words? Yugi explained his spiral theory to me, but you already knew, didn't you? You knew something like this was going to happen. Maybe not that night exactly, but soon enough. That's why you were so angry with me over Atem. _You knew_ , and yet, I was the _only one_ you said good-bye to, the one person your best friend could never blame for letting you walk away."

There was nothing Jounouchi could think of to say, so he remained quiet, head bowed and cheeks burning with shame. He _had_ known someone had put a hit out on him. When he'd walked away from the streets, Hirutani had been the only one who hadn't gotten the message. Between what other gangs members knew of him and the circumstances of his arrest, no one else had looked twice. A few rivals had shown up to confirm the rumors, a few had even congratulated him on getting out, but they had all left him alone after that. Only the young, stupid upstarts trying to make a name for themselves actively sought him out now. So of course he'd known something was up when Otomiya and Kamijou had shown up. He'd called in a few favors from those who still owed him and found out about the prize on his head, courtesy of a certain red-assed boss monkey. And since Anzu and Honda were both still accusing him of instigating a fight at the time, he had though it appropriate to actually do so.

He had also known the encounter wouldn't end well. There was too much bad blood between him and Hirutani now. It was far too late to walk away as he may have once tried. For as long as Jounouchi remained a target, everyone he cared about and everything he was fighting for was in danger. There were only two ways to remove that target on his back: make a higher bid or ensure that the contractor couldn't pay up. The first wasn't really an option and facing Hirutani meant one of them wouldn't be walking away. It was almost funny that the one thing he'd have to do to save his future was the same thing that would end it.

Everything had been planned out to the best of that he could …and then Atem had shown up. Suddenly, it wasn't just about protecting what was his, but _proving_ that he was the person two of the most important people in his life thought he was. Killing Hirutani, no matter how necessary or unavoidable, wouldn't do that. He tried to rethink his plan, to salvage something, and realized he was in a zero sum game. No matter which direction he took a step in, nothing good would come of it. So he abandoned his plan and did the only thing he could with the time left to him; he made sure his friends would be okay without him.

Spending his last night with Kaiba, however, had only been something that felt right to do. He knew that if he could just get the stubborn workaholic to look past what Kaiba saw as repeated failure at a rival's hand, Atem would make a strong tether that would keep Kaiba close to the others. He hadn't meant to make an argument of it, though. Nor had his intention been to burden the other. But Kaiba had been the only one to not badger him, accepting his words and telling him what he needed to hear, even when it wasn't what Jounouchi wanted to hear. The stark honesty Kaiba offered deserved something in return, so he had gone out of his way to make sure he said good-bye. It was a poor gift, but his time had run out before anything else could be offered.

Even now, despite the stress he was under by doing so, Kaiba offered him a choice. Though he complained about the weight, the young CEO had accepted it, and was willing to accept more. If Yugi was the balm that healed all wounds, then Kaiba had to be the will to live on afterwards…and it made Jounouchi miserable to know he deserved neither.

He heard Kaiba stand and assumed it was so that he could leave. Honestly, Jounouchi didn't want to be in the room with himself, so he couldn't blame the other for wanting to go. But rather than reaching for the door knob, Kaiba's hand very gently touched his hair. It was soft gesture, one that clashed with the annoyed accusations that had just been made. Still, Kaiba touched few people, and only Mokuba with any regularity. Yugi touched him all the time and Atem was becoming more comfortable doing so as well. Honda almost didn't know what boundaries and person space was. But even though Jounouchi himself didn't touch the others as frequently, it was comfortable and without hesitation. Kaiba's touch was…different. Not bad, or uncomfortable. Just different, as if he was uncertain whether or not the touch would be accepted.

"What are you so afraid of?" Kaiba finally asked.

"How easy it was," Juonouchi said quietly, breath hitching, unable to stop himself. "It took almost nothin' to get me back into it. I didn't even recognize you at first, couldn't think of anythin' except where the first hit would come from and how to beat you to it. I could have killed all three of you and never noticed, never twitched…" He ducked down further, hiding the tears he couldn't stop from rolling down his cheeks. "This was supposed to be a one-time thin'! But it's not! Who's gonna get hurt the next I lose control? How can I be trusted around the people I wanna protect? I don't wanna be this monster, but I can't stop it! _I don't want to be my father!_ "

The last line was practically screamed. There it was, out in the open for all to see. The worst nightmare finally given voice. No matter how hard he tried, Jounouchi couldn't keep himself from crying. He curled tighter into himself, ashamed and scared and hurt. It hurt so much to admit out loud. But Kaiba didn't remove his hand until the sobs had turned into sniffles, and that was only to hand over a box of tissue. Jounouchi took it without looking up, too embarrassed to even voice a thank you.

"The Jounouchi Katsuya I know," Kaiba said after a moment, "is an exceptionally loyal idiot with a stubborn streak that puts mules to shame. He is strong and proud and unafraid of the consequences of his words and actions, willing to make amends when he oversteps, but unrepentant for speaking his mind. Once he makes a decision about something, he goes forward regardless of the walls that stand before him, crashing through and obliterating obstacles when others would stop or go around. He digs his heels in and refuses to move when others try to push him in a direction that's not his own. He would deny and fight down to his last breath any accusation that he was anyone but himself."

"Maybe I'm not that guy…" Jounouchi said quietly, settling the tissue aside. He finally looked up at Kaiba. "Even if I was, how do I stop it?"

"You wake up every morning, look in the mirror, and tell yourself you're not that monster. Every time you see your reflection, you reaffirm that you are in control of your actions and not anyone else. And when you go to bed, you think about all the things that went right and all that went wrong and figure out how to make the second list shorter than the first. You'll do it every day of your life, and some days, you'll be closer to the edge that others. If you're lucky, then there's someone beside you willing to put up with that monster and loves you anyway, who's willing to deal with the bad days to help make more good ones. It's an entirely uphill battle, never ending, against the odds, and ultimately futile…

"But for the days when the demons don't cackle, it's worth it."

For a long time afterwards, Jounouchi would think of those words and the far-off gaze in Kaiba's eyes, and wonder who exactly he was talking to, the blond or himself? In the end, he supposed it was a little of both, something that needed to be said out loud to give the words weight. But for the moment, it was simply ethereal. Just like the night of the White Gala when they had shared their first civil conversation, Kaiba appeared vulnerable, young, and alone. Was this the person Mokuba saw? Was this what was left when the company and title were stripped away, leaving only "Seto" behind?

And if that was true, was there really that much of a different between the two of them?

Before he could pin down his thoughts, or the intense desire to protect what he saw in front of him, Kaiba broke the spell by suddenly turning to the briefcase that he'd brought in with him. "Before you make a decision one way or another," he said, all business once more, "read these." About thirty envelopes were dumped out onto the table, a few of them looking like they held manuscripts rather than letters. Kaiba picked through them until he found the only one that appeared to be post marked. "I suggest you start here." He handed over the envelope, which clearly showed Shizuka's distinctive writing.

"What…? Who…?"

"If you want to give a reply, I need it by Sunday. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got about another hour of paperwork to attend to before I go to sleep." The briefcase clicked closed and Kaiba turned for the door.

"Wait!" Jounouchi jumped to his feet, grabbing a hold of Kaiba's sleeve. "Thank you," he said when the other turned, meeting his blue gaze evenly. "I promised I wouldn't run form you, _teeme_. Don't run from me either, okay?"

"I'm glad you remembered, _makeinu_ ," Kaiba said with a slight smile. "Because forgetting a promise to me _is_ the dumbest thing you can do in your life." There was a pause. Jounouchi realized belatedly that he was still clutching at Kaiba's coat and quickly let go. "Mokuba will be here tomorrow. We'll join you for lunch."

Jounouchi nodded. "I'll see you then. Try to get some sleep, okay?"

"As bad as Mokuba," Kaiba mumbled, once again heading for the door.

Even after the door close and Kaiba was gone, Jounouchi stared after him, trying to piece together enough thoughts and feeling to figure out what had just happened. He still felt bad, but not as bad, like some of the hurt had been smoothed over and was starting to heal. With a sigh, he let the matter drop, turning to face the small mountain of mail left for him. He picked up Shizuka's letter, opened the envelope and settled down to begin reading.

* * *

To be continued.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for this chapter include a small comment on the difference in languages. Modern day Egypt speaks a combination language that linguistics classify as Egyptain-Arabic, which is basically Arabic with Coptic influence, essentially making it a dialect. Nobody knows exactly how the Ancient Egyptians spoke (it's still being studied), but Coptic (which is still spoken is some areas and is a combination with old Persian) is the closest that anyone gets. I don't claim to be able to speak Egyptain-Arabic, my Japanese sucks enough as is, but I am fairly confident in my one word I included in this section.

By the time Yugi and Atem returned to the room, Jounouchi had fallen asleep amid countless papers. Unwilling to disturb his sleep, they simply draped a blanket over their friend before settling down themselves. The large bed, which accommodated all three of them with enough room for at least two more, felt quite empty without him.

"That can't be comfortable," Yugi said, pushing himself up. "I'm going to-"

"Leave him be, _aibou_ ," Atem interrupted gently, glancing up from the book in his hands. "He's asleep, deep and dreamless for the first time in days. Waking him may only cause more problems. If a little stiffness in the morning is the price for a night of actual sleep, the cost is well within reason." He smiled deviously. "Besides, if he's stiff and cramped when he wakes, maybe we can finally convince him to leave this room in order to loosen up a bit."

Yugi nodded and settled back down. Even though he was allowed to be up and moving, and had been for the last week and a half, Jounouchi had yet to step outside. Yugi and Atem had tried every tactic they could think of, short of kidnapping or guilt, to get the blond out into the fresh air and sunlight. So far, nothing had worked. It didn't detour Yugi's persistence, either. The windows remained fully open, even if the blinds were drawn closed in the time Jounouchi was alone, which didn't happen often. Jounouchi only seemed to sleep well for a few hours at a time, waking violently from dreams he never talked about, but he adamantly refused anything that might help him sleep longer. As a result, either Yugi or Atem would remain awake when Jounouchi did sleep, ready to pull their friend back from the edge of a nightmare. It was a skill Atem was more adept at, noticing within only a few breaths the change from sleep to distress.

When not asleep, they played games and talked. Kaiba had left behind all the cards that had been brought so that he could duel Atem, more than had really been needed. The numbers allowed all three to change their decks for every game and a flexibility to create variations when one got boring. If poked enough, Atem would talk of his life in Egypt. Yugi somehow managed whole discourses on absolutely nothing. Jounouchi remained surprisingly quiet most of the time, rarely straying from polite conversation, but could sometimes be tricked into more if his concentration was split. For two weeks, this had been their routine.

Yugi sat up again. "We can't just leave him out there."

"We can and we will." The book closed as Atem turned his full attention to the boy beside him. "I sympathize with how difficult this must be for you, to be forced to sit, and wait, and watch while someone you care for is in so much obvious distress. I want to help him, too. But until he accepts our help, there is little we can do. The both of you…for me…" His words became disjointed as he slipped in-between languages, switching randomly through Japanese and Egyptian-Arabic, and sometimes even Ancient Egyptian. Though he didn't understand the other languages, Yugi knew enough about them to tell them apart. This wasn't the first time it had happened, either.

It had been explained that most of the time, the memories from the Sennen Puzzle acted like all other memories, recalled and dismissed with only a vague impression of the feelings associated with the moment and fuzzy peripheral details. Most of the time, they were experienced as waking dreams, seen and acknowledged in the weird limbo between sleep and consciousness. But sometimes, when the emotion was too intense, or the memories were overwhelming, there was a distinct split between Atem the Pharaoh and Atem the teenager. Most of the time, this was indicated by a sudden switch in spoken language, a severe headache and/or mild disorientation. Watching that split manifest gave Yugi a deep appreciation for what his friends had witnesses and accepted before any of them had really understood what and who the Spirit of the Sennen Puzzle was.

He reached out and touched Atem's shoulder. Dark red eyes closed in frustration and the words dropped to a grumble as he tried to regain control of his speech. Slowly, he slipped into a single language, rubbing his forehead with a pained expression. This time, Yugi managed to leave the bed unhindered. Making a slight detour to check on Jounouchi (who was still sleeping soundly), he retrieved a couple tabs of aspirin and a glass of water. "Here," he said, offering the items.

" _Shokran._ " Atem shook his head. "Thank you," he repeated in Japanese.

"I'm sorry," Yugi said softly, sitting beside him. Atem waved the apology off.

"A small inconvenience. At least I know I'm not losing my mind anymore." He reached out and took Yugi's hand. "But it is because of this that I understand. I'm not the same person I was three years ago, yet that is who everyone expected me to be. After my release from the hospital, many of my old friends came by, but only two ever returned again because they could accept that change. Between thinking I was going insane and the rejection from the people I cared about, I didn't leave the house for months. I'd probably still be there if Mahaado and Anhkhiti hadn't come by every day to talk, to try and convince me there was a world outside I could have a part in.

"And when I finally got the courage to walk out the door, I met Malik. My world righted itself enough that I could move on and accept myself even when so few others did.

"Katsuya needs time to accept, to adjust and decide for himself what he wants. As his friends, as ones closest to his heart, the best gift we can offer is our patience and presence. To show that we care and accept him even when he does not care or accept himself." When Yugi didn't respond, Atem smiled weakly. "Am I making sense? Or did I randomly switch languages again?"

"No, you didn't switch. I'm just thinking about what you said." Yugi sighed, letting his gaze wander to the room Jounouchi slept in. "I feel like I've let him down, though. Like I should have tried harder to get everyone to work together, to protect him from Honda-kun and Anzu-san's accusations. He was my first real friend and I feel like I abandoned him when he needed a friend the most…"

Atem reached over and wrapped Yugi tightly in a hug. "You never abandoned him," Atem said softly. "In fact, you were the only one who believed when all else seemed lost. It was your belief, your unwillingness to stop and give up that let us find him. You've stayed here, beside him, even though you have responsibilities to the outside world. You cry and suffer and agonize with him, for him, without shame or regret. Those are not the actions of one who had abandoned another, but one who loves very deeply." He rested his forehead against Yugi's. "None know this more than he and I. Just be your patient, loving self, and I promise everything will turn out as it is needed."

"If you two are done causin' cavities, move."

They both looked up to see Jounouchi, barely qualifying as awake and wrapped in the blanket they'd covered him with earlier, standing in the doorway. Yugi gave Atem an "I told you so" look, one the Egyptian boy thoroughly ignored as he moved aside to make room. Jounouchi waited for no other invitation, climbing into the middle of the bed and collapsing with a groan.

"Why'dya leave in that damn chair?" he asked, voice muffled by the pillow he was face down in.

"We did not wish to wake you," Atem replied, smiling in the face of Yugi's irritated look.

"Go back to sleep, Jounouchi-kun," Yugi said instead, rearranging the blanket in an absentminded fashion. There was some sort of mumbled reply before the soft sounds of sleep were once again heard. They both watched him for a while, still weary. Then Atem sighed and stood up.

"If you'll hand me my book, you can go ahead and get some rest."

"No, it's okay," Yugi said, moving said book to the bedside table. "I don't really feel like sleeping right now, so I'll take first watch."

Atem paused, concerned. " _Aibou…_ "

"Really, it's fine." Yugi smiled. "Get some sleep, okay? I'm sure it will help with your headache."

There was another moment of hesitation before Atem nodded. "Wake me if you need anything, or if you get tired." Yugi nodded, still smiling as Atem laid back down and quickly fell to sleep.

For a long time, Yugi simply listened to their breathing, content to watch over his best friends. Atem's words made sense to him, but he couldn't forget Kaiba's, either. It was a bit childish, he supposed, to want everyone to get along, or to make things go back to what they were. Back to a time when they had been an indestructible triangle, pulling and pushing each other to greater heights. Now, they were just pushing, and Jounouchi had been the one to fall under the pressure. After everything the blond had done to protect everyone, putting their hopes and dreams before his own, it was a poor way to be treated.

"Ne, can you kill the light?"

Yugi nearly fell out of the bed at Jounouchi's sleepy request. He hadn't even heard the shift; he'd been too wrapped up in his thoughts. Jounouchi pushed himself up slightly, concern starting to wake him. "Hey, you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Liar." The blond didn't say anything more, instead curling back up under the blanket. Yugi waited a minute more before reaching over to turn off the bedside lamp. Settling into the bed, Jounouchi's accusation added itself to the jumble of voices arguing in Yugi's head, making it hard to keep tabs on everyone's breathing. But Jounouchi seemed to fall back into slumber easily, almost a perfect counter to Atem's own pattern. The gentle pull back and forth slowly lulled Yugi's own thoughts to rest so that, despite his promise to wake Atem when he grew tired, he fell asleep.

***

As usual, Atem was up with the sun. He stood next to the open windows, only about half dressed, singing softly as he watched the sunrise. From where Yugi lay on the bed, he could see the scarring Atem was usually so careful about hiding. It looked like someone had poured pink wax across his shoulder and torso, the way the super smooth scar tissue ran across his right side. It dripped down his arm, in some places all the way to the elbow and in one, almost to his wrist. It flowed down his chest, splashing spots across his stomach before turning abruptly to consume most of the space between his ribs and hip. A surgical scar ran the length of his spine, the only one not lost to the mass of shiny pink flesh.

Yugi couldn't imagine what could have happened to leave such a scar, but Atem was extremely self-conscious of it, hiding it behind long sleeved shirts and loose clothing. After seeing the scars Jounouchi carried, of treating many of the wounds that became those scars for so long, Yugi didn't really understand what there was to be shy about. Everyone had scars. He idly wondered if Atem hated it the way Malik hated the scars on his back. Sure, they were all friends now, and that hatred had diminished, but Malik still flinched and yelled whenever someone came close to touching it.

Atem's song ended, pulling Yugi from his thoughts. He watched the other pull on his shirt and blushed when Atem turned, grinning at him. Yugi could practically hear the "like something you see?" in the silence. With a groan, he pulled the covers over his head and his, which only caused Atem to laugh.

"Come on, _aibou_ ," he said, still chuckling, tugging at the covers. "Katsuya's already up and in the shower. Breakfast will be here soon."

"Mou…" With a sigh, he flipped the covers up and over Atem's head. "Fine. I'm up. No peeking."

"No peeking?" Atem echoed. " _Aibou_ , it's nothing I haven't seen before…" That got him fluffed with a pillow. Atem collapsed to the bed, pretending to be dead. An effect totally ruined by his continued laughing.

At that moment, Jounouchi emerged from the bathroom, still toweling his hair. He stared at the other two for a moment before shaking his head. "Don't wanna know," he muttered, walking in the opposite direction. "I really don't want to know…"

" _Ohayo,_ Jounouchi-kun," Yugi said, hitting Atem with the pillow one more time. "Feeling better?"

"Aa." Jounouchi paused at the table, still littered with envelopes and paper. "Uh…I was thinkin'…about maybe taking a walk after breakfast," he said, voice full of uncertainty as he toyed with the edge of one of the letters.

Yugi felt a smile come to his face. "Sure. We can go anywhere you want."

It was more conversation than they'd had in a while, so Yugi happily ignored the fact that his friend barely touched his meal. As soon as they were finished, Jounouchi seemed ready to go back on his words, hesitating before the door. Before he could turn away, Atem took his hand and opened the door. Yugi immediately took the other hand, placing himself behind Jounouchi so that he couldn't back up. As Atem stepped forward, gently pulling, Yugi pushed as well. It wasn't enough that should he seriously put his foot down, Jounouchi wouldn't stop; just a gentle guidance forward. And Jounouchi let them.

Keeping a firm grip, Atem and Yugi slowly lead their friend out of the building and into one of the many gardens Kaminoki maintained. After many days of wandering the gardens themselves, they had decided privately that the first place Jounouchi should visit was the rock garden. It was the quietest and most secluded of the gardens, though the very air seemed to sing with energy and life. Somewhere unseen, a small stream splashed, the only sound in the immediate area. The all sat down on a small viewing dais and looked out over the carefully maintained patterns.

"What would you say," Jounouchi asked softly after a long period of silence, "if I said I didn't want to go back?"

"I would ask you why," Yugi said, looking to Atem, who shrugged.

"Why?" Jounouchi gave a strained chuckle. "Because my life sucks back there."

"Ah," Atem said, as though agreeing. "Having friends that care about you certainly bites."

"That's not what I meant…"

"If you never wanted to return to Domino, I could understand that," Yugi said. "It's unfair, what you've gone through. If leaving would make you happy, then I'd let you go." He leaned over, resting his head on his friend's shoulder, trying to blink away the tears in his eyes. "Just remember, I'll always be your friend. And that if you ever need anything, I'll help as best I can, even if that's almost nothing."

"No matter the space that separates us, we will stand with you," Atem said, leaning on the blond's other side.

Jounouchi ducked his head. "I don't deserve friends like that."

"It's not a matter of deserving, or being worthy, or even being lucky. It simply is."

"If anything, _we_ don't deserve _you_ as a friend," Yugi added quietly. "In the time you needed us most, we didn't even listen to you."

"That's my own damn fault," Jounouchi sighed. "I'm the one too prideful to ask for help when I needed it the most. I can't expect you guys to know what the hell's goin' on if I don't tell ya, let alone expect ya to do somethin' about it." He fidgeted with his shoelaces, looking lost. Then, with a disgusted sound, he threw himself backwards. "Fuck! Even when I wanna ask for help, I can't open my damn mouth. How bad do I suck?" he groaned, covering his face with his hands.

Yugi looked at Atem, eyes full of questions. The other boy shrugged and shook his head. "Does this have something to do with the letters?" he asked.

"Yes and no," Jounouchi mumbled.

"Can you elaborate a little more?" Atem asked when the other didn't continue.

It took a few more prods before Jounouchi finally said, "Every single one of you, from my sister to Kaiba, think I'm this great guy with this endless fountain of strength and steadfast confidence. I'm not. I'm a fuckin' coward. Worse, I'm a coward with a violent streak who's too dumb to know when to give up." He swallowed hard. "Mom was right to leave me behind. I've turned into my father…"

Yugi stared blankly for a minute, trying to process what had just been said. And when it finally did make sense, he hauled off and punched Jounouchi's shoulder as hard as he could. This was apparently pretty hard, given the way Jounouchi flinched and grunted. " _Katsuya, you idiot!_ " he yelled, hitting his friend again to emphasize the point. " _Don't ever say that again!_ You're _nothing_ like that man! Yes, you can be stubborn and prideful and violent, but you're also caring and considerate and willing to do anything to help someone else. If you were your father, would you be agonizing over this? Would you feel guilty for things you have so little control over? Would you have said anything before just leaving?"

"Everyone has their failings," Atem added, rubbing Yugi's back even as his eyes bored into Jounouchi. "You are not our friend because you're always strong or always nice, but because you give us the confidence to be ourselves. We care about the Jounouchi Katsuya that you are, not the one you think you have to be, or the one that others try to force you to be. That includes the parts of you that you may not be so proud of." When Jounouchi still seemed hesitant, Atem stood and stripped off his shirt, revealing the scar to the world, his face dark. "This is the best I can ever hope for. Nothing, not even time, will make this change or go away. So answer me, Katsuya; is this all I am? Does this mark make me any less of the person I was before I received it? Has something fundamental about me changed because of it?

"Of course not!" Jounouchi snapped back. "That's the most fucked up thin' I've ever heard outta you. So what if you got a few scars? Anyone not willin' to look beyond them ain't worth the time or worry. You're still you. That's just a small part of it!"

"Why are you so different then?" Yugi asked. "Isn't that just a small part of who you are? You're still the same person you've always been: a brother who fought desperately to save his sister's sight, a man that withstood the fury of a god trying to help a friend and thoughtlessly threw himself into the bay twice to save us."

Jounouchi blinked, and then offered a weak smile. "I…totally stepped in that one, didn't I?" Yugi and Atem both nodded. Jounouchi shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, swearing under his breath. "I'm such a freakin' idiot some days…"

"You're not an idiot."

The three boys started, turning to see Kaiba standing not too far away. The CEO still looked haggard, but alert. Atem's shirt instantly slipped back on as Jounouchi jumped to his feet.

"Shit. Lunch."

"Mokuba's still an hour away, so relax." Kaiba's slightly glazed blue eyes focused in on Atem. He crooked a finger at his rival. "You, however, I need to talk to." After a round of glances, Atem drew himself up and nodded, following Kaiba from the garden. Jounouchi and Yugi watched them leave in silence, letting the still of the garden return.

At length, Jounouchi playfully punched his friend's shoulder. "That hurt, by the way."

Yugi flushed. "I'm sorry," he said automatically before frowning. "Really?"

Jounouchi grinned. "No. You still hit like a wet piece of cardboard. I thought I taught you better." He laughed as Yugi scowled and took a third shot. But it was the first time his friend had laughed, and laughed unrestrained, in over a month, so he couldn't stay mad for long. It also didn't keep him from exploiting Jounouchi's lack of stamina, poking and prodding the other until he could only lay breathless on the dais, hands held up in surrender.

* * *

To be continued.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few notes. 1) Remember that I gave Hirutani a first name. If you don't remember it, then go back to the first hospital scene and look. Yugi mentions it to the cops. 2) Remember that Kaiba's people took two people away when they went to find Jounouchi. He's not named, but he was there. 3) Asahina's background was arbitrary. I wanted something that both Kaiba and Jounouchi would respond to. Don't read too much into it. 4) Sayuri means white lily.

"I think…I'm ready to go home."

It wasn't the most confidence-inspiring statement ever made, but it got the job done. Within a week, Jounouchi was back home, back to school, and back at work. It wasn't a seamless transition by any stretch of the imagination. The school put up the least amount of resistance – with the tuition already paid and medical bills to prove his hospitalization-induced absence, there wasn't much of a choice. The biggest problem actually came from the police, which interfered with getting Jounouchi settled at home. Most of it was blustering on Detective Inoue's part, which turned a simple statement taking into a three-day interrogation. The maltreatment only stopped after a man, who introduced himself as Head of Kaiba Corp's Legal Department Ishikawa Kenji, recited article for article, code for code, all the rights the police had violated by not only harassing Jounouchi, but for their lack of action during his kidnapping and subsequent need for extended medical care.

But perhaps the hardest thing to get around was the paranoia the blond had picked up. He was just plain uncomfortable in close quarters, fidgety and on edge while surrounded by so many people. It eased some when he was in a familiar place, or his friends were close at hand (and everyone made a point to always be that close). For the most part, however, he remained hyper-vigilant and quiet, still recovering and struggling despite claims to the contrary.

Slowly, days turned to weeks and things began settling down. It was only with Malik and Atem's return to Egypt at the end of August that real normalcy seemed to settle in, for whatever that was worth. Even Jounouchi's father seemed to get into the act, drying out for the first time in years. Kaiba personally thought it had more to do with the fact there was no money available to buy alcohol than anything else, but he kept those thoughts tightly sealed and to himself. As the time accumulated behind him, Jounouchi was becoming stronger, more stable and confident in himself once again. After all the time and effort putting the blond back together, Kaiba had no intention of pushing.

So it was with a sense of guilt and mild self-loathing that he called Jounouchi into his office one bright October afternoon, nearly a month and a half after Jounouchi had finally started getting his life back together.

"Asahina has asked to speak with me," Kaiba stated once the office door was locked. "You won't remember her, but she was there the day we found you. She's an…information specialist…that's been trying to figure out who the mastermind is."

It was like watching a well-crafted mask shatter. Gone was the amiable, affable boy who laughed and teased and smiled for no other reason than he wanted to. Standing in front of him now was the black beast Malik had warned of before leaving, with eyes that burned hot enough to peel paint from the walls…or skin from flesh. It was the same face he'd looked into when they'd found him in Hirutani's torture chamber. The only difference between then and now was the thin amount of control also visible in his eyes. It was probably tenuous at best, but for the moment, Jounouchi was the master of his anger and not its slave.

The mere thought of the other man being able to consciously direct that force was enough to send a shiver down Kaiba's spine, but he held his ground, returning the gaze evenly. Jounouchi hadn't run from him yet. The least Kaiba could do was not turn his back.

"Say what she really is."

"An ex-interrogator with ties to the Marushima family."

Jounouchi remained quiet for a moment. "For your sake, I hope those ties are severed. No one just walks away from a Yakuza family."

"They're the ones who placed her with me and there's no questions beyond that," Kaiba pressed. Jounouchi took the hint and remained quiet. "Do you wish to be there?"

"Do I even want to know why you have a dominatrix on payroll?" The snarky comment was enough to snap them both back to familiar territory. The anger and tension dissipated, leaving only tired lines on Jounouchi's face. Kaiba had to bite his tongue so that he didn't laugh, though whether it was from relief or the comment itself, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that it would sound slightly hysterical and completely inappropriate. Since he was the one who kept a straight face, Jounouchi was the one to crack. He blushed and hung his head. "Sorry," he mumbled. Only then did Kaiba allow himself to roll his eyes and cough out the laugh caught in his throat. With that finally out of his system, he stepped forward, letting his hand rest on the now familiar spot on top of Jounouchi's hair.

"Don't force yourself."

"No." Jounouchi shook his head, once again meeting Kaiba's gaze. "This has to end. I want to know. No…I need to know why. Even if the answer doesn't make sense, I need to know."

A part of Kaiba wanted to say that knowing wouldn't fix what Jounouchi wanted fixed, but he also knew better than to argue when that stubborn light hit those amber eyes. He nodded and pushed the other toward the door. "Get your coat. We're leaving."

In the twenty minutes it took to drive to their destination, Kaiba honestly thought Jounouchi was going to lose his mind. Neither of them said a word, but for the life of him, the blond could not sit still. Now that he had the time to think about things, he was undoubtedly beginning to over think. Reservation was cropping up, telegraphed clearly by the ever shortening of his fingernails. Kaiba could almost hear the argument taking place as stubbornness clashed with trepidation. He almost told Jounouchi to stay behind when they finally arrived. The only reason he didn't was because the car hadn't even _stopped_ before the other boy had jumped out.

The building itself was relatively nondescript and forgettable, with none of the flare or dramatics many of the other buildings associated with Kaiba Corp had. In fact, there was only a small plate with the company logo and "Security Headquarters" next to the front doors that even mentioned the building's purpose. It was one of the few that still stood from Gozaburo's days, mostly because there wasn't a clean way to clear out the lower levels without bringing up unwanted attention. Despite being out of the arm's business for a good number of years now, the government would not hesitate to shut him down for what lay in the basement labs. So Kaiba had cordoned them off, leaving only a select few people even aware of their existence, and placed his security housing over the top of it.

The inside was as utilitarian as the outside. The walls were blank, painted in a flat and dull gray and lit with fluorescent lighting. The lobby was tiny. There was a reception desk, clean but empty, and a few fake plants (which the twins had insisted upon) scattered about and nothing else worthy of any note. Three elevator doors dominated the back wall, each requiring a key card to activate. And since each card was specifically coded to only give access to certain areas the holder had clearance for, there was little worry of someone gaining access to something they shouldn't if a keycard went missing.

It was a system Mokuba was rather proud of.

Unlike the car ride, as soon as the elevator doors closed and they started to descend, Jounouchi became statue-still. He still had yet to say anything. The silence was both welcoming and unnerving, made more so by the tomb-like feeling the basement labs had anyway. There were plenty of ghosts and skeletons buried in the darkness anyway… Even the chime of the elevator was muted. Another long, sterile hall awaited them before finally reaching their destination.

"Ah, Kaiba-shacho…" Asahina trailed off, looking curiously at Jounouchi.

"Jounouchi Katsuya, Asahina Sayuri."

Asahina looked the part of a classic Heian beauty. Her hair was long and thick, loose around her shoulders as she toweled it dry, with pale skin and liquid brown eyes. It was something she played up constantly, the look of a demure lady of high standing. Anybody who spent any significant amount of time with her on the job knew the only thing she really qualified as was female, and a few still had bets on whether or not that was true. Like Kuroda, she took her job a little too seriously, rarely seen in anything other than her black suit. Now she stood in front of them dressed in only a bathrobe that wasn't tied up all that tightly; the intricate lily tattoo falling across her shoulder was visible.

Jounouchi stiffened. In a rare show of humility, Asahina pulled the robe around her closed, making sure to cover the mark. She then flowed into a chair, smiling like a cat that had just cornered a mouse. "Ah, the much maligned Guardian of the Castle," she purred. "Come to finish the pus sack off?"

Jounouchi glared at Kaiba. "Hirutani's here?"

Kaiba ignored the question, focused solely on Asahina. "Is this another status report, or do you actually have information this time?"

"I merely though it in everyone's best interest to inform you that I was through with the first wart before releasing him to my family's care and rehabilitation," she responded airily, waving aside the question. "Besides, the information he gave me was very useful in breaking the ass wipe in the other room. And the information _he_ gave me, well, it's the best kind." She smiled brightly at this, looking even more evil for it. "Shall I give you a summary? Or do you want to hear the poison yourself?"

"I wanna hear it for him," Jounouchi said before Kaiba could open his mouth. Asahina gave her employer a questioning look. He nodded slightly.

"Well, then," she said, standing and making a short bow. "If you'll allow me a moment to change, we'll see what kind of infection we can drain from the little boil."

As soon as she was gone, Jounouchi rounded on him. "Why didn't you tell me you had Hirutani here?" he hissed.

"I would have thought that painfully obvious when I told you her occupation," Kaiba retorted. "What would you have had me say?"

"I don't know, but somethin' woulda been nice." Jounouchi looked away. "Am I still that untrustworthy?" he asked quietly.

Kaiba had the sudden and desperate urge to beat his head against a wall. Apparently, there were always going to be days when dealing with Jounouchi would induce migraines. He grabbed the other's chin, forcing their gazes to meet. "If I didn't trust you, we wouldn't be having this conversation. You wouldn't be standing here right now. I would have either found some other way of telling you whatever Asahina learned, or never told you at all. Not even Mokuba knows this place exists. Does that tell you _something_ about how much I trust you?"

There was no response, just wide amber eyes that took up his whole field of vision. Without meaning to, Kaiba had leaned in close. Close enough that he could feel Jounouchi's body heat. Straightening, he stepped back and turned to find Asahina resting in the doorway, a smirk on her face. He scowled at her, which only seemed to amuse her more, even though she said nothing.

Jounouchi gave a low whistle. "And here I was joking when I asked why you had a dominatrix on staff…"

"Shut up," Kaiba growled, trying not to think too hard about that question himself. He'd never seen what she "worked" in before. It was something he would have been more than happy to remain blissfully ignorant of.

She crooked a finger at them. They fell into step behind her as she led them down yet another hallway that mysteriously swallowed the click of her heels on the shiny floor. She stopped at one of the many doors, all humor gone from her face as she turned to face them. "Remember, this is my Wonderland. You two are nothing but scenery to Alice right now, so act like it. Don't talk, don't react, and don't interfere. Understand?"

Kaiba just nodded, but Jounouchi squeaked out something that sounded like " _Hai, Hime-sama_."

An evil leer spread across her face as she leaned into the blond. "I'm not a princess anymore. Call me queen."

"Torture him on your own time, please," Kaiba said, trying to sound bored enough that Asahina would give it up. She gave a little sigh of disappointment before adjusting a plain white porcelain mask over her face. Then she swept into the room.

" _Ohayo gozaimasu_ , Takeru-kun," she sang out brightly, flipping on the lights.

After the company had officially become his, but before he'd torn apart everything his adopter had sought to create, Kaiba had walked every hall and stood in every room, learning every purpose each had in all the buildings the company had owned. So by default, he knew he'd been in this particular room once before. It was a tiny, square thing, barely big enough to hold the hospital bed and the equipment that surrounded it. Above the bed was a display of all the computer readouts detailing everything that was going in and out and how much. Hirutani himself was strapped down heavily to the bed, mostly to keep the half dozen or so needles puncturing his arms from being ripped out. Asahina fluttered about, checking each of the machines against the display and making adjustments.

"Oi, oi, Takeru-kun…" She tapped his face a few times, but received barely a flutter of an eyelash for the effort. The next slap was hard enough to jerk the bed. This time, Hirutani groaned and opened his eyes, though he seemed to be having trouble focusing. Asahina sat lightly on the edge of the bed, one hand stoking the bruising cheek and toying with the buckle of the gag which had been pulled too tight. "You know better, Takeru-kun. When the sun is up, that's the time to be awake, not asleep. The sun is up, is it not?"

Hirutani made a whimper-like sound. Out of the corner of his eye, Kaiba saw Jounouchi shiver. He shifted closer.

"Very good," Asahina continued. "Now, we're going to continue our conversation from yesterday. And if you're good, I'll give you a reward." This time, Kaiba was the one to shiver. Jounouchi shifted so that their shoulders touched. With another garbled sound, Asahina carefully undid the gag and pulled it free. "Tell me about the Guardian of the Castle," she ordered.

"Self-righteous son of a bitch," Hirutani rasped. "All brawn, with just enough brain to make him a royal pain in the ass. Best fighter I ever met, but no sense, no ambition. I gave him a place, a purpose, and he pissed it all away with that friendship bullshit. He'd rather play house with those rejects he hangs with now than make somethin' of his talents. Never could see the big picture."

"What big picture?" Jounouchi growled under his breath. "Playin' attack dog for you for the rest of my life? Fuck that."

Asahina turned a menacing glare toward them, but continued her petting. "All that hard work, gone. Must have made you mad. What did you do about it?"

"Tried to bring him back, to remind him what we had together. The things we could do together! We'd be kings right now if he hadn't gone all soft in the head. But those losers got their claws in too deep. He wouldn't listen. He needed to be reminded of his place, to not bite the hand that feeds him."

"And how did you do that?"

"Threatened that pretty little fantasy he's holdin' onto. He never could wait, so all I had to do was apply pressure. Make him come to me. Stubborn shit took his time, but his luck ran out soon enough. He never even knew what hit him. And he fell into it so easily, too, like he'd never left the streets. I hate to admit it, but the pretty-boy bastard was right. Watchin' him crumble his own world away was way too amusin'. The dumb prick even paid me for the pleasure!" Hirutani laughed. It was a sick, wheezing sound.

"Who, Takeru-kun?" Asahina purred. "Tell me who…"

"Called himself Yamato Iori…"

A loud bang caused everyone to jump. Kaiba turned just in time to see Jounouchi disappear through the now open door. Matching glares with Asahina, he ordered, "Get him into a presentable shape. Two months." Then he stalked out as well.

A little further down, Jounouchi was pacing the hallway like a caged beast. With every turn, the distance walked become shorter until the blond whirled on his heel and slammed his fist into the wall. The heavy plaster crumbled and the sound proofing boards offered no opposition. Judging by the sound, Jounouchi's arm didn't stop until it hit the concrete inner core. He pushed, grinding his fist into the unyielding barrier for a moment before relaxing. He carefully extracted his arm before sliding to the floor. Unsure of what else to do, Kaiba stood by silently.

Somehow, it didn't really surprise him that Iori and Hirutani had cooked up this plan. Hirutani had the ambition and cruelty while Iori had the spite and the means. Like called to like, after all. It explained why Iori would have known so much about Jounouchi's past, as well as how Hirutani managed to corner the blond on one of Kaiba's own properties. There was only one problem with this picture, though…

"He's lyin'," Jounouchi finally said, inspecting the damage to his hand. "There's someone else."

…How would the two have ever met? It's not like the son of a wealthy elitist would regularly hang around in the same circles as a low-level street thug. "Are you sure?"

"Hirutani doesn't know shit about my sister. I never told anyone 'bout her after the divorce, until I told Yugi on our way to Duelist Kingdom. I didn't want any of what I'd done to get back to her." He licked the blood from his knuckles. "Even if he and Iori were in cahoots, someone else had to have said somethin' about Shizuka. There's someone else involved." He pinned Kaiba with a glare. "Look, I know what's goin' on in that brain of yours and I want ya to drop it. I'm not tryin' to sound ungrateful or somethin', but you've done enough. So…let it go, okay? It's not important anymore…"

"When have I ever wasted my time on something that's unimportant?" Kaiba asked, trying to cover his surprise. Granted, his brain had kicked into overdrive trying to find a solution to this new problem while figuring out if it interrupted any of his other plans, but he wasn't used to being called on it. "Doesn't it bother you that someone's carrying on this vendetta against you?"

Color flashed through Jounouchi's pale cheeks. "Don't be an asshole," he hissed. "It scares the shit outta me. But so does…whatever the hell _this_ is all about." He gestured wildly to the hallway. "You're only supposed to see stuff like this in government conspiracy movies and bad spy flicks. And before you say anythin', I don't know what I was expectin', but it wasn't this."

"Is this going to be a problem?" Kaiba asked quietly.

"No, it ain't a problem." Jounouchi chuckled, running a nervous hand through his hair. "In fact, it's sorta flatterin', in a psycho-stalker kinda way, that you'd go this far. At the same time, though… If this is the help you wanna give me, then I don't want it. You may be able to carry that burden, but I can't. For as much as I hate Hirutani…" He shook his head. "Not like that. I don't want to beat him like that."

"Then how do you expect to bet him?" Jounouchi didn't have a response for that. This time, Kaiba sighed. "For what it's worth, there won't be any lasting effects once he gets off the drugs."

They left shortly after that, the silence and tension just as strong as when they'd first set out earlier that afternoon. The entire time, Kaiba found himself wanting to say something. What, he wasn't sure, but the desire persisted even as he choked on the words. His jaw ached by the time they returned to the office from clenching his teeth, trying to stifle the urge. Both went back to their respective jobs. The quiet of his office offered no reprieve, leaving Kaiba absently staring at nothing, tapping his pen against the stack of papers he was supposed to be going over.

For the first time in a long time, he felt anxious, confused, and apprehensive. He would have even gone as far as saying he was scared, except that would mean admitting to a sense of fear, and fear was an emotion he couldn't afford. Still, a deep part of him accepted that he was scared. Scared that he'd pushed Jounouchi too hard. Scared that time would run out before everything come together as he needed them to. …Scared that maybe Gozaburo had managed to infect more than just his thoughts. But even as these thoughts surfaced, they were pushed back angrily. Jounouchi wasn't made of glass, nor was he the type to pay someone lip service. If this afternoon's fieldtrip had been a mistake, Kaiba would have already heard about it. The same went for the clock. He'd always made the clock work for him before, not the other way around. If he had the time to sit and worry, then he wasn't doing his job. And for as sadistic and manipulative as his adopter had been, Gozaburo had proven that Kaiba's were not normal and therefore, the rules did not always apply. To that point, he refused to allow a dead man any more space in his mind than a few scant thoughts.

Back and forth, round and round the argument went, neither side gaining nor losing ground against the other. He'd always scoffed at the cliché image of the imps on a person's shoulders, whispering good and evil into their ears. Now he understood the allure of such imagery. It felt like he had armies roaring in his ears, pulling his thoughts one way before yanking them back in another.

The headache had just reached the throbbing stage when Jounouchi appeared before him with a large cup of coffee. "Quad shot, darker than black, with somethin' that's supposed to make it taste like alcohol. The lady said it was the strongest thin' she could make."

"Aa. Thank you."

Jounouchi shrugged. "Thank Akiko. She's the one who told me where to get it."

He probably needed the caffeine like he needed a hole in his foot, but Kaiba made it a personal habit to never turn down coffee. At this point, he was going to need it if he was going to get through his paperwork. After a sip, he decided to ask Akiko for the location, too. "Something else?" he asked when Jounouchi continued to stand by his desk.

"Yeah, Mokuba said he was stayin' late at school to help prepare for their festival this weekend, so he'd just meet you at home." He laughed when Kaiba choked on his drink, sputtering. "Akiko already cleared the schedule, so all you have to do is find a way not to get mobbed."

Piece said, Jounouchi turned for the doors, but paused only about halfway to them. "And just so you know," he said without turning back, "the Kaiba Seto I know is an arrogant asshole with control issues. He doesn't give a damn about what anyone else thinks, he just goes after what he wants and heavens help ya if you get in his way. Doesn't take names-either already knows 'em or doesn't care-just kicks everyone's ass along the way. And the most frustratin' thin' about dealin' with him is that even when he pushes your nose into the dirt, the bastard makes ya wanna get up and go at it all over again, no matter how many times ya failed before.

"And I can't think of a better friend to have my back."

Jounouchi slipped through the door before Kaiba could respond, no doubt as flushed and embarrassed as the CEO felt. The imp horde was mercifully silent as he replayed the last few lines of conversation over in his mind. A slight smile tugged at his lips as he came to the word "friend" once again. For the first time, not a single cynical thought or sneer accompanied the word, helping broaden the smile a little bit. It remained stubbornly on his face long after he'd gone home, much to Mokuba's delight. It was only after he settled down for sleep that he realized keeping that smile meant living up to a certain reputation. Then the smile widened into a smirk.

Good thing he had lots of practice at being an arrogant asshole.

* * *

To be continued.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never realized that writing a fluff piece could be so difficult. I think I've rewritten this nearly twenty times, and now that I'm about a month behind in updating, I give up. I make no excuses from my laziness...other than I have no computer of my own right now, and therefore must wait for my roommate to be gone so that I can steal hers. Sorry that it was so long in coming, but I hope you enjoy.
> 
> EDIT: Apparently I was really tired last night and didn't save my notes before posting (thank you to the reviewer who pointed this out to me; I wish you'd given me an email so I could say so more personally). O-tanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu is happy birthday, with tanjoubi literally meaning birthday and omedetou being congratulations (the O makes it formal, as does the gozaimasu). Fun fact: You also say omedetou instead of ohayo or konichi wa as a greeting when first meeting friends and family on the New Year. Oyasumi and oyasumi nasai are good night in varying levels of formality (nasai being the more formal).
> 
> My reviewer friend also pointed out that age of majority, that fun age where you can vote/drink/smoke/get into love hotels/are considered an adult by the governement, is 20. It's all encompassing in Japan, unlike the US where you're allowed to visit adult shops and join the military at 18, drink and smoke at 21, and yet can be claimed by your parents for tax purposes until you're 24. There have been big political movements in the Japanese government to change this age to 18, in order to keep up with the rest of the world (the average is 16, actually). The last that I had heard on the subject, it had been changed in most major cities to 18 while smaller villages and such still held at 20. Being a large enough metropolis, I would thus assume that Domino's age of majority would be changed as well. Don't quote me on that, I'll deny everything. Besides, it works a little better with the storyline if age of majority is 18. Yay for artisitic licence!
> 
> The point of that rambling paragraph is that Kaiba Seto has just turned 18 and Asahina is a bitch. But we knew that already...

Something had changed, Yugi decided. The relationship between his best friend and his rival was different from what it had been before the summer break. Granted, that whole affair had changed everyone, strengthening certain bonds while others had weakened. But the change between Jounouchi and Kaiba was something more. After a few days of covert watching, he'd realized what had really happened…or rather, what wasn't happening anymore. Both had finally stopped watching the other out of the corners of their eyes. The wariness that had always strained their relationship in the past was gone and with it, the need to constantly watch what the other was doing, to be constantly on guard and waiting for whatever the next attack was. Sure, the last year had brought them to a certain comfort level with one another, but Yugi had honestly thought Jounouchi would never let Kaiba that close.

Then again, he never dreamed that someone could dedicate so much time and effort to torturing someone else for an imagined slight, and Hirutani had already proven that wrong three times.

Still, they trusted each other and that was no small feat. He could count on one hand the number of people who'd reached that level of trust for both of them. It was amusing to note, however, that this subtle change had gone by unobserved by everyone else, including the two people in question. So he felt rightfully concerned when Jounouchi suddenly reverted back to watching Kaiba like a hawk and vice versa.

"Did something happen between you and Kaiba-kun?" he finally asked one day before school. Jounouchi seemed startled by the question.

"No. Why?"

"Well…" How to say this without coming off as a stalker? "You just seem really leery or one another," he finally said. A blank look was his reaction. So much for tact. "You two are watching each other again. You stopped for a while and now you're doing it again."

"What Yugi's trying to say is that you keep looking around for Kaiba, like you expect him to jump out from a shadow or something," Anzu said.

"I do expect him to jump out of shadows," Jounouchi replied honestly. "Do you know how hard it is to keep a secret from that guy?"

"If you're trying to keep a secret, it's best not to shout it to the world," Kaiba said as he walked into the classroom, startling everyone. He paused at the unusual reaction, frowning at Jounouchi (who was studying his fingernails), but sat at his desk without a word.

There was silence for a few moments before Jounouchi kicked Honda's foot and made some subtle hand gesture. Honda scowled, but hauled out his wallet, saying (loudly), "Here. I want a soda. Go get me one."

"If you're going to get drinks," Anzu chimed in, seeming to catch on, "I'll have a jasmine tea, please." She nudged Ryou.

"Umm, barley tea, if they have any."

"Iced coffee," Otogi chimed in.

"Kaiba?" Jounouchi asked. "You want somethin'?" Kaiba simply raised a cup he already had to indicate he was fine, flipping through paperwork without really looking up. "Okay. Yugi, come with me."

Not that Yugi had much a choice, not with the grip his friend had on his school jacket. The poorly concealed exit received only a deeper frown from Kaiba. Jounouchi finally slowed down once they neared the vending machines on the first floor. Even then, he glanced around warily as he got the promised drinks.

"Jounouchi-kun…"

"It's Mokuba's fault," Jounouchi blurted out with a scowl. "He's cooked up this devious plan for Kaiba's birthday and I made the mistake of bein' there to overhear it."

"His birthday?" Yugi repeated, unable to help his incredulous tone. "Is that what this is really about?"

"Shush up!" Jounouchi hissed, eyes shifting around nervously. "I swear he's got bionic ears or bugs or somethin' everywhere."

"You're being paranoid."

"Rightfully so. You didn't get the riot act when I asked what the big deal was. I'm gonna have nightmares for years now."

"It can't be that bad…"

"Two words: rabid fangirls." Jounouchi groaned, thumping his head against the vending machine. "And the bastard can't spend the day at home, 'cause he's a freakin' workaholic. So Mokuba and the twins came up with this whole plan that they just had to tell me. And somehow Kaiba found out, so he'd been givin' _me_ the evil eye, but the other three are gonna kill me if I say anythin' to him…" He smacked his head again. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Stop that." Yugi pulled his friend away from the machine, finishing their collection. "Just tell him you can't talk about it."

"Why do ya think he's givin' me the death glare again?" Jounouchi sighed, absently running a hand through his hair. "This would be happenin' right after he starts trustin' me…"

"He's trusted you for a while now," Yugi commented idly, trying to remember what everyone had wanted. "Akiko-san and Yukiko-san adore you, which if I remember correctly was the condition for gaining Kaiba-kun's trust in the first place. If that was really true, then you've had his trust for months." He paused. "They don't have any barley tea. Should we pick something else out for Ryou-kun?"

"Get the Sanya Jasmine. It's pretty sweet. And even if Kaiba did trust me that far back, this is different."

"Then something did happen between you two."

Jounouchi scowled, but focused it on the floor. "He showed me one of his ghosts a little while ago, so I'm pretty sure he thinks that's what I'm freakin' out over instead of the fact his brother's a connivin' brat."

"It's not, is it?"

" _No_ ," was the terse reply.

"Then you don't have anything to worry about." Yugi handed him the last of the drinks. "Trust works both ways. He trusts you enough to let you in. Trust him enough to know it that it wasn't a decision made lightly." He pushed Jounouchi back towards the classroom.

"We are talkin' about the same Kaiba Seto, right?"

The shorter of the two refused to sigh. Sometimes his friend picked really strange things to get flustered about. Then again, he also understood the weight carried by someone who held a dark secret. When he had realized the gaps in his memory were caused by the Spirit of the Puzzle, the sheer amount of uncertainty had terrified him. He was hurting people and people were hurting his friends because of him for things and times he couldn't remember. Granted, the circumstances were nowhere similar in this case, but wasn't Jounouchi's anxiety based upon the same uncertainty?

"If nothing else," Yugi finally said as they reached the classroom door, "trust me."

Jounouchi seemed to finally relax at that. Enough so that when they walked back to their friends, he didn't pay attention to Kaiba's eyes following his movements. Instead, he jumped into an argument Honda and Otogi were having about cars versus motorbikes until the first bell rang. In the ensuing shuffle of students, Yugi managed to pass on the relevant bits of his conversation to the others. As is usually the case with exceptionally close friends, they all sparked on the same idea about the same time. Kaiba, who was close enough in the group to recognize when they were all sharing a common goal, and know he was at the center of it, transferred his wary stare to the others. Jounouchi groaned and tried his damnedest to melt into the floor.

Across town, sitting in his own classroom, Mokuba sneezed several times, prompting the homeroom teacher to send him to the nurse, lest he have an unknown bug to spread to the rest of the class. Mokuba shrugged and did as he was told; if it got him out of that morning's pop quiz, who was he to complain?

 

***

The problem with being rich and famous was the almost compulsive need other people had to know your personal business. And no day caused a greater headache for Seto than October 25th.

Eight years ago, it had just been another day of grueling work whose greater reward wouldn't be seen for years to come, and he had skipped over it with little thought. Over the last four years, he'd become wary of the date because of the dramatic increase of people attempting to butt into his personal life, all trying to congratulate him on surviving another year. In the last two years, he'd finally managed to convince the majority of his staff that the best gift anyone could give him was the gift a peace and solitude. There were exceptions to all rules, though. Business partners and associates were kind enough to keep such things short and sweet, but Asahina and her family always gifted him with something, as did the Matsudera twins and of course, Mokuba. Kuroda and Ishikawa usually presented something as well, though they were subtle enough to present it under the guide of something in their respective fields.

But it was with true trepidation what Seto awoke this particular 25th, staring blankly out a window as he sipped his coffee. It was one of the few days he let himself sleep in. He knew better than to go to school and arriving late to his office usually ensured all but the most stubborn of the well-wishers had been turned away or left on their own. The amusing card Mokuba had left behind with the coffee service from the house staff before departing for the day themselves took the edge off his caffeine-agitated nerves, but there was still a background unease as he prepared for work.

The twins had planned something. They did every year, usually with Mokuba's help, and Seto had given up trying to convince them it was unnecessary. He also knew better than to question any of the three about their plans, as they could turn the conversation to a different subject so deftly he often forgot the initial question. So instead of fighting, he merely asked that they kept the disturbance down to minimum and let them have their way. He also knew they had included Jounouchi in their plans, which he supposed was a given considering how close the other was to the situation. More because he could than anything else, Seto had tried to pressure Jounouchi into giving up his co-conspirators, only to be stonewalled. And then to see him tell everyone else…Seto felt a little betrayed. Granted, it was his own fault for putting the other in such an uncomfortable position in the first place, but it didn't stop him from wondering what else had been told as well.

Still, the day went smoothly enough, the majority of it spent writing thank-you's for various gifts. No meetings, no calls, and only one minor disturbance security handled so efficiently, Seto only heard about it after the fact. Kuroda and Asahina both arrived to give updates on their individual tasks. He signed and revised a few documents for Ishikawa. That was the most exciting part of his afternoon.

Watching the sun set on the inordinately calm day, Seto admitted silently to his drink that maybe it hadn't been unease he'd felt that morning, but anticipation. For as much disdain he treated this whole thing with, it had been nice to see the care placed behind it. Somewhere in the middle of making Mokuba and his staff happy, he'd come to enjoy the attention as well. It was sort of disappointing to see everyone take him seriously this time.

When he figured he'd wallowed in self-pity long enough, he finished his drink and gathered his things to go home. He frowned when he noticed neither Matsudera at the desk, but paid no real attention to it. Jounouchi had taken the day off to attend some function with the rest of the group. Mokuba had called from home to announce his safe arrival after school. There was no need for either twin to hover there. One of the night shift guards escorted him to his car before bidding him good night. The drive home was equally uneventful.

After such a dull day, he felt justified jumping like a scared rabbit when a chorus of " _O-tanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu_ " sounded as he walked through his front door.

At least everyone had been smart enough to stay out of reaching distance; otherwise Seto might have decked someone. They were also smart enough to let Mokuba be the first one to approach him. Once relieved of his coat, shoes and briefcase, he was pushed to Akiko and Yukiko, who firmly planted themselves on either side of him and escorted him to his own kitchen, everyone else trailing behind. Since it was still warm outside despite the time of year, the kitchen doors had been opened up to the patio behind. The area had been strung with lights to brighten the space, and several tables with chairs had been arranged through the area. It was an informal and comfortable setup, inviting people to sit and intermingle at the same time. Simple flower arrangements adorned the tables, the only extraneous decoration.

"Every year, the question arises, 'What do you gift a man who can have anything he wants?'" Akiko said softly.

"This year, Katsuya gave us an answer: 'Give him what money can't buy,'" Yukiko replied.

"An easy day of work, a night spent with friends…"

"…food made from home, things made by hand…"

"… _omedetou_ , Seto-sama," they said together, leaning in to kiss his cheeks before bustling into the kitchen.

He was only left standing in shock for a few moments before Asahina sidled up to him with a drink in hand. "Don't look so stiff, Kaiba-sama," she said with an easy smile, offering him the extra glass in her hand. "This is supposed to be a joyous occasion, after all."

"And how many of these is it going to take for me to share that opinion?" Seto asked, eyeing the electric blue concoction in the glass.

"Hopefully not more than two or three," she replied cheerfully, smile turning feral around the edges. "Otherwise, I'm going to lose a good amount of money to Kuroda-senpai." Suddenly, Seto found it to be in his best interest to study his drink and not say anymore.

He was saved once more by Anzu's call to dinner. No one told him what it was, but he was somewhat relieved to see it was Ishikawa heading the effort. The man came from a family of successful restaurateurs, a talent that had been passed on even if the enthusiasm had not. It was surprisingly good. After eating and drinking way too much, desert was postponed in favor of gift giving. Everything from homemade spice drops to a few rare books passed in front of him, each genuinely impressing him with the thought placed behind it. The box full of socks from Honda ("Everyone can always use more socks," he defended) brought a round of laughter from everyone, just like Asahina's gift brought a refrain of questions when he blushed despite himself and refused to unwrap the package further.

By the time Mokuba made for the ice cream and cake, both also hand-made, it was quite late and Kaiba was feeling the effects of that blue drink he'd been offered earlier. Content with the slightly fuzzy feeling his body had obtained, he stepped back for a moment to simply observe the two distinct parts of his life intermingle. Anzu and Yukiko laughed at something Jounouchi said in the kitchen, which led to a loud threat involving cold, soapy water. Akiko and Ryou had dismantled one of the flower arrangements, apparently discussing the finer points of color contrasting and form. Asahina had somehow latched onto Honda, who kept throwing "help me" looks to anyone close. Otogi ignored it by striking up a conversation with Ishikawa while Kuroda pulled Yugi aside to help Mokuba with distributing desert.

Two years ago, he'd been angry; seething at his continued losses to a shy child whose presence tested the limits of his patience and the structure of his world. Last year, he'd made an uncertain decision to further unbalance his life in an effort to prove that there was no way his student life could ever work with his job. Now…he was kind of glad to be wrong.

Asahina was the first to excuse herself for the night, starting the slow trickle of people out the door. Mokuba offered rooms (it was late and gods knew they had more than enough spares), but everyone made the same excuse – they'd intruded more than enough for one day. And it wasn't an excuse made to get out of clean up, either. Once relieved of Asahina's affection, Honda made short work of the excess tables and chairs. Between Jounouchi, Anzu, and Yukiko, there wasn't a single plate or utensil left that needed cleaning. All the trash had even been gathered and deposited away in the appropriate bins. As tasks dwindled, people made their farewells for the night until both brothers once again had the place to themselves.

"You ever do this to me again, I will string you up by your toes and tickle you until you pass out," Seto said idly as they walked to their rooms.

"You liked it and you know it, nii-sama," Mokuba retorted, sounding entirely too smug for his own good.

"Not the point of this conversation and a minor detail besides," was the sighed reply. "You know better than to surprise me like that."

"Well, if someone hadn't banned half the guests from company properties, we could have held it in your office like we always have." Mokuba paused to wiggle into his pajamas. "Besides, you're always complaining about office disruptions and it was easier to get everything set up here while you were conveniently otherwise occupied." The younger brother paused again, frowning. "Did you really not like it?"

"It was odd," Seto said honestly, "but not entirely unpleasant." Mokuba scowled, earning a laugh. "Yes, I enjoyed the evening, even if the road to it as less than comfortable. Thank you, imp."

" _Omedetou_ , nii-sama." With a hug, the boy jumped into bed. Seto absently straightened the purposefully disarranged bedding and ruffled his brother's hair affectionately. " _Oyasumi._ "

" _Oyasumi nasai_." Clicking off the lights, Seto retired to his own room and scowled at the neat pile of gifts on his bed. Or rather, specifically at the one that remained wrapped in paper. After a few moments, he snatched up the item and shoved it into a drawer, dumping random thing on top of it to hide it. Then he locked the drawer and stared at it, trying to decide if that would be enough to keep it from prying eyes. Not having any better ideas, his thoughts turned instead to an appropriate to punish Asahina.

Just because he had now reached the age of majority _did not_ mean he was any more interested in sex than before, and he _most definitely_ didn't need a book on tantric sex for gay men.

* * *

To be continued.


	20. Chapter 20

Jounouchi sighed, silently admitting to himself he was screwed. He sucked at subterfuge and long-term planning, as was evidenced by still not having an answer to Kaiba's question nearly a month and a half later. People often thought his head-long rush into things was bravado or stupidity. Maybe it was those things, too, but he knew his own strengths and weaknesses, and tactical planning was his worst skill. Sure, Duel Monsters had helped with the basics, but there was a reason Yugi could kick his ass in ten moves or less. He was too reactionary, unable think more than a few steps ahead of where he was currently standing. It was always "now" or "someday," not two months, two years, or even two weeks. He had no middle ground to stand upon.

And it was going to cost him his only opportunity to nail Hirutani to the wall.

For as much as he knew he needed help, he was loathe to ask for it. This was his fight and he was tired of dragging his friends into messes he should be able to handle himself. At the same time, it could be argued they had as much right to take a piece of Hirutani's hide as he did, yet he felt selfish for depending on them to take of the problem he was failing to solve. He couldn't break from the circular argument.

A hand ruffled his hair, scattering his thoughts and reminding him he was supposed to be hanging out with Honda. His friend handed over the soda with an amused look. "Think much harder and your brain's gonna explode," Honda said. Jounouchi scowled, but accepted the drink anyway. They were sequestered in Honda's bedroom, taking turns playing a video game. Well, Honda had been doing most of the playing while Jounouchi pretended to watch, too caught up his thoughts to pay much attention to much of anything. The handful of times the controller had been in his hands could barely be called a token effort to actually play.

Honda poked him in the ribs. "You gonna tell me what the hell's going on, or do we gotta go three rounds first?"

"Round one," Jounouchi mumbled under his breath.

"Ass," Honda hissed back, grabbing the first thing that came to hand (thankfully, it was pillow) and beating the other with it. "Why do you make everything so difficult?"

"Masochist at heart."

"You're not a masochist if you don't enjoy it."

"Who says I don't?"

"There's a difference between enjoying it and using it to prove you still feel something." Honda's expression became harder. "It's not your dad, is it?" he asked in a softer voice.

"In some ways, I kinda wish it was," Jounouchi admitted. "At least I know what to do with him." There was a pause. "He's startin' to slip again, though," he added under his breath.

"You're not going to get outta there soon enough," Honda said bluntly, glaring at nothing in particular.

"Forty-eight days and countin'."

"And all it's gonna take is one night at a bar before you land in the hospital again. I still remember the last time he tried to dry out. At least when he's constantly soused, his aim and balance are bad."

"Enough, okay?" Jounouchi growled. "I get it. You win. Round two."

They glared at each other for a minute before Honda gave a slight nod. "If it's not your old man, did something happen to Shizuka?"

"Not that she's told me. She was bubblin' over the last time we talked. Her teachers think she can get into a nice all-girls high school if she tried hard enough. Two years before she really has to worry about it, but I guess that's when you gotta start."

"You made any plans? Practice exams begin after winter break."

"Yeah, college is a great choice for me since I'm such a stellar student." Jounouchi snorted and shrugged. "Depends on my job. If I can afford it, I'd think about it, at least."

"You should think about it anyway," Honda pressed, nudging the other with his foot and receiving a non-committal grunt for his effort. "Okay, round three. What's really bothering you?"

"Hirutani and what the hell should I do with him."

"Let the police handle it," Honda said with a scowl. "Him and the Yamato guy. You've already gone through hell for them. Let someone else deal with their mess."

"That's not how this works and you know that."

Honda smacked him upside the head again, this time with his hand. "In case you hadn't noticed, this isn't a gang war. You're a little over a month away from doing what everyone else thought was impossible: surviving your parole. Don't throw that away because you got some hard-on for vengeance."

"I'm tired of him showin' up in my life!" Jounouchi snarled back. "First it was just threats. Then he tried to hurt Yugi. _Then_ he put out a hit on me…what's next? Who's gonna get killed because I didn't take care of this the first three times I had a chance to?"

"An eye for an eye leaves the world blind."

"How Buddhist of you. But the street way is the only thing Hirutani will understand. It's the only way _I_ know how to deal with this."

They lapsed into a tense silence. At length, Honda groaned quietly and shook his head. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but go ask Kaiba for help. If he can't come up with something…well, I guess I'll need to get my nicest suit pressed sometime soon."

Jounouchi just stared, somewhat thrown by the tone in his friend's voice. "Why can't you believe you're tellin' me to go to Kaiba?"

Now it was Honda's turn to snarl. "Because I'm still pissed at him for that mess over summer break. I understand why he did it now, but that doesn't mean I hate him any less for it.

"My best friend disappeared for three weeks and all I get is a flimsy 'He's safe.' Anzu was a basket case, Ryou looked ready to cry at any moment, and Yugi didn't eat unless it was shoved down his throat while you were missing. Every moment I had was spent combing this city for you, and Otogi talked himself hoarse trying to keep us all connected and calm. After everything we went through, all that bastard could tell us was that you were safe, which really only told us you weren't a corpse. And as the days stacked up, it began to feel like he was just stringing us along because he didn't have the guts to say you died somewhere along the way. He left us high and dry without even a glimmer of hope.

"I don't want to entrust you to him again, but he's probably the only one who knows how to handle something like this." Honda sighed again. "Though I can't say his way's gonna be any better than yours. At least he's got the lawyers to back up his insanity. Maybe he can keep your ass outta jail, too."

Jounouchi considered his friend for a long moment. "So what's really eatin' you?"

"Just a bad feeling," Honda muttered, trying to hide behind his drink. When that didn't work, he set it aside, meeting the other's gaze evenly. "I can't shake the feeling this has been too easy—"

"Easy?" Jounouchi interrupted. "You think this was _easy_?"

"Wrong choice of words," Honda retorted, "but I can't help thinking this is the calm before the storm, okay? And I don't think I'm gonna feel better until you're out of that damn apartment. I don't ever want to feel like I did this last summer ever again, so take damn good care of yourself, got it? Quit being a stubborn ass and ask for the help you need or, so help me, _I'll_ beat you to a pulp. Understand?"

Holding his hands up in a placating manner and keeping a smile on his face, Jounouchi turned the conversation back to their video game while he seriously considered his friend's words. Honda had a solid personality. He wasn't given to fits of anxiety easily, nor was he one to spend time worrying about something he had no control over. Heeding the ever odd "bad feeling" he got had saved both their skins more than once, though, so Jounouchi didn't feel comfortable just brushing the warning off.

But did he really want to ask Kaiba for something he already told the other not to give?

***

Kaiba stared at him for so long, Jounouchi began to wonder whether he'd actually said something or if it had all been in his head. _I am never admittin' he's right again_ , he thought sulkily, feeling irritated by the continued silence. It was bad enough he was already self-conscious, feeling foolish and more than a little stupid for having to ask for help in the first place. But for Kaiba to just sit there…it was more than his pride could bear. This was why he never asked for help beyond mundane things like school work.

"Never mind," he growled, already turning for the door.

"Plant your feet," Kaiba said, the first since Jounouchi had come in.

"Why? So you can just stare at me more?" He stopped, but didn't turn back around. "You've more than made your answer clear, so forget I said anythin'."

"I am allowed to consider my answer before voicing it."

"You're tellin' me these last five minutes have been you thinkin'?" Jounouchi turned slowly, giving Kaiba an incredulous look. "And it never once occurred to you, with all the money you have just layin' around, to spend a little one a sign sayin' 'Processin'… Please wait'?" Kaiba blinked, then covered his face with his hands before making a funny snort. Jounouchi narrowed his eyes, temper far from being pacified. So his mouth kept going. "Is a sign even too much for you? No, it's too plain. Doesn't serve that overwhelmin' ego you got. No, what you need is some glorified egg timer that's more glitz than function. Or better yet, an hour glass, somethin' like your computer puts up when it's processin'. Stylize it with a couple of your damn dragons and you've satisfied the more-money-than-sense requirement."

He paused, eyeing Kaiba, who looked like he was going to hurt himself trying not to laugh. Granted, not laughing had probably saved him from getting punched or having something thrown at him, but Jounouchi really didn't want to see the aftermath of that particular explosion. "Breathe," he instructed patiently, more annoyed than actually angry now. "It wasn't that fuckin' funny."

The laughter finally bubbled over, amazingly light and jovial. It was nothing like the haughty laugh often heard right before the utter destruction of some opponent, or the cold laugh that showed up when he was being particularly sadistic. No, this was a deeper version of Mokuba's crack-up over some stupid joke, an unrestrained and uncensored sound. Having never heard such a thing before, Jounouchi really couldn't help forgetting the rest of his annoyance.

After a surprisingly short few moments (because really, the man needed to laugh like that more often), Kaiba got a hold of himself. A smug look settled in its place. Jounouchi folded his arms over his chest and returned the arrogant look with all the ire he could manage…which only seemed to amuse the CEO more.

"I wasn't going to involve anyone else at this point, but I won't deny your right to closure. If you want to be here, that's your choice. I'll even play nice and invite Yugi, too. But you will sit there quietly and observe and nothing else. Those are my conditions."

Jounouchi frowned, knowing he was missing something, but clueless as to what it might be. Were they even talking about the same thing anymore? Yes…and also no. He took a good look at his classmate, piecing together the self-satisfied look with the lack of an argument, the calculated cruelty and the personality that supported it. His eyes narrowed as things started settling into place, forming a picture he didn't want to see. And when the amusement deepened towards a more vicious tone in Kaiba's eyes, Jounouchi knew his guess was right.

"Before you snarl at me again," Kaiba said abruptly, cutting off the angry accusation before it got started, "this had nothing to do with you. This was my own agenda being carried out, not a plot to avenge you. It will, however, kill two birds with one stone, which is the only reason I'm extending this courtesy to you."

"Then why extend it to Yugi as well?"

"Not 'as well'. Also," Kaiba corrected, making a distinction Jounouchi didn't follow. "His presence has been requested as a courtesy to one of the people involved," Kaiba elaborated. "It's not dependent upon your participation."

"Oh."

The blond shifted from one foot to the other, suddenly unsure of how he felt or how he was supposed to react. A part of him was happy that Kaiba had actually listened to him for once and backed off. Another part was kind of sad that he'd been dismissed so easily. Should he be thankful to be invited or angry because he'd almost been excluded? Fearful of the malicious intent (even though it wasn't directed at him), or curious since it wasn't everyday someone was allowed to observe one of Kaiba's end games? The scratching of pen on paper filled the silence during his internal argument. By the time Kaiba held out the piece of paper he'd been writing on, Jounouchi had decided that numb was how he wanted to feel. If he didn't feel anything, then there was nothing to be confused over.

Kaiba didn't release the paper when he reached for it. " _Makeinu_ —"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll get some palm fronds and pretend I'm a potted plant."

Humor cracked the serious look the other man was giving him, but only around the edges. "Not what I was going to say, but thank you anyway." Kaiba released the paper and sat back in his chair. After a considering pause, he then said, "There are many effective ways to gut a man. Most of them don't involve a knife. I know that your words aren't as powerful as your fists, but I also know that invisible wounds will fester long after a bruise heals. My advice is to think about what you _really_ want to say to Hirutani, then have a long conversation with Akiko and Yukiko."

"Why them?"

"Because no man has ever forgotten the sound of a siren, even after he's a corpse on the ocean floor."

The metaphor only partially went over his head, but Kaiba had already returned to whatever he was working on. Jounouchi took it as a dismissal and walked away without questioning any further. His end-of-day chores were completed on autopilot and he was about halfway home for the evening before he actually looked at what he'd been given. A date and a time written in Kaiba's fluid, yet precise script stared back at him. He stared at it as if it would give him an answer, even though he wasn't sure what exactly the question was supposed to be.

With a half-hearted curse, Jounouchi pushed it to the back of his mind with the rest of the things he didn't understand. He ignored its bid for attention by pulling out his phone and texting Yugi with Kaiba's invitation. It had been a deliberately vague message, so he wasn't too surprised when his friend actually called instead of texting back.

"Jounouchi-kun! Good timing! I was just about to call you anyway. Guess what I heard from Atem…"

* * *

To be continued.


	21. Chapter 21

The day Kaiba chose to play out his game was appropriately deceptive. Winter break had just started, and while it had snowed several times previously, none of it had yet to stick around. The cold, however, had stayed, leaving a sting in the air despite the bright, shining sun in the clear sky. For some reason (though he suspected Kaiba was trying to isolate him from the events to unfold that night), Jounouchi had the day off. After mindlessly killing a few hours with some mundane cleaning around the apartment, he bundled up and trudged the long way around to Yugi's, trying to clear up his thoughts. Unfortunately, all the long walk did was give him a runny nose and a deeper feeling of exhaustion.

The last two weeks had not been kind to him. Between cramming for finals, trying to find an apartment he could afford that didn't have him living on the other side of the city, and helping the Matsudera girls prepare for the White Gala, he'd running on only a handful of hours of sleep and caffeine for days. He was seriously starting to appreciate Kaiba's coffee addiction. But all the soda and sugar in the world didn't make up for the two in the morning calls for a pick up from whatever bar his father had decided to spend his evening in. The only consolation was that this was usually in conjunction with several other coworkers getting picked up as well. After hour association was expected for even mailroom workers and the loader community was well known for working hard and drinking harder. If it only happened once a week as part of the job, who was Katsuya to complain? His father was employed and in little over a month, he himself would be out of that life and into his own. It was all still a bullshit excuse as far as he was concerned, but he held onto it nonetheless. Honda was right; he wasn't going to get out soon enough.

Instead of a few easy hours of company and maybe a nap, the Kame Game shop was packed with customers shopping for the holiday season. Jounouchi was shoved into the backstock room with the job of hauling out items as they were sold out on the floor. For as tired as he felt, he was glad to be immersed in the work. It meant he didn't have time to let his mind wander, to think too hard about why or when he started feeling flustered in Kaiba's presence, or about how his stomach clenched at the thought of facing Hirutani and Iori again. He didn't have a chance to worry about his father, or his living arrangements, or his grades, or anything other than where he'd put the box with the latest capsule monsters down while looking for the duel monster cards Yugi swore was right in front of him.

Business kept up like that until the early evening, leaving just enough time to grab a bite, clean up, and hit the train station for the twenty minute ride across town to Kaiba Corp. Despite almost missing a transfer in the middle, they managed to arrive about fifteen minutes early. The night guard let them in without a fuss, indicating they were to go straight to the top level conference room. Neither talked much on the elevator ride up. The entire building was wrapped in a dark, expectant air that neither wanted to be the first to break. At the top, Yukiko greeted them with a tired smile before showing them into the room.

Four other people were already there. One of them was Atem. Another was Malik. The one who looked up when they entered had a young face, but a head full of silver hair cut into a shaggy mop. There was a scar over his right eye that intersected with two more that ran parallel on his cheek. Half a head taller than Malik and build solidly under his loose clothing, Jounouchi felt himself respond as if getting ready for a face-off in some alley. The other's pale blue eyes sparked in recognition of a rival, but he ignored the challenge in exchange for examining Yugi. He looked from Yugi to Atem, and then back before a wide grin crossed his face. He nudged Atem, interrupting his conversation with the fourth person, saying something that brought a flash of color to Atem's cheeks even as he turned to see Yugi and Jounouchi. He smiled and held up a hand in greeting before turning back and punching the still grinning man in the shoulder, yelling something in hhis native tongue.

By the time the two groups converged, Atem was towering over the other, who was laughing and making apologetic sounds at the same time, hands held up in surrender. Malik told them to ignore Anhkhiti and then introduced Mahaado, the fourth man. Tall and relatively thin, Mahaado had dark brown hair worn long but cut bluntly along the ends and the bangs, framing a face that was a strong study in composed restraint. His dark eyes took in everything and revealed nothing. Speaking in soft tones, and using Malik as a translator, they managed small talk until the doors opened once more, this time admitting Kaiba, Ishikawa, and the Yamato family.

Jounouchi stiffened as he matched gazes with Iori. Though they hadn't crossed paths since their confrontation months ago, Jounouchi had heard about the repercussions. The bones had been plated and wired back together, tendons stitched back into place, and several surgeries had eventually lead to the whole mess healing, but the doctors held little hope of the arm ever functioning properly again. Too much nerve damage, too much scar tissue. There was raw hate in Iori's eyes as their gazes met, but it was his parent's that voiced the protest. Isshin succinctly told them to shut it about the same time Jounouchi noticed the solid presence beside him. Once the Yamato family had settled, he glanced over to see Anhkhiti flanking him, supporting him in a way he would expect out of Honda. They studied each other again before Anhkhiti smiled, this time a little more sedately. He clamped a friendly hand on Jounouchi's shoulder, saying something he had no way of understanding, though one word sounded distinctly like "pharaoh."

Before he could ask for a translation, Yukiko appeared to guide everyone to their seats. Yugi grabbed Jounouchi's hand and pulled him away. A warning look from Kaiba reminded him he was supposed to be playing the part of an office plant. Feeling petulant, he flipped the CEO off as casually as he could and settled down, pleased to see Kaiba smile and shake his head before returning to ruthless businessman. As soon as Akiko arrived with a tray of drinks, the show started.

They were all clustered around one end of the large table. Kaiba sat in the only chair that had no opposite directly at the end, Atem on his right while Isshin sat on the left. One chair was left empty next to them before the supporters filled in the next three. Yugi and Jounouchi sat yet another two chairs behind Mahaado, close enough to hear everything, but far enough away to not be involved. Ishikawa had taken up a position behind Kaiba and was talking while handing documents to Akiko and Yukiko, who then passed them along to the proper individuals. There was a lot of legalese being spoken, mostly by Ishikawa, but every once in a while Atem would speak up with a question, or Isshin would ask for a clarification. The vast majority of it went right over Jounouchi's head, but he understood the gist of it - Isshin was transferring some sort of power over to Atem. A glance around the table revealed most of the Yamato family bored out of their minds, with Isshin's son constantly fiddling with his phone, son's wife completely engrossed in her nails, and Iori scowling at nothing in particular. By contrast, Malik almost couldn't keep up his translation for Anhkhiti and Mahaado, all leaning in close so that their voices didn't carry. Yugi seemed to be in the same boat as he was, attentive yet confused. Jounouchi idly wondered why Kaiba was involved in this at all.

Thirty minutes later (it felt more like three hours), Atem and Isshin were seemingly satisfied with all the papers in front of them and began signing in all the places they were told. After that, another round of paperwork was brought and more legalese was spoken before Atem, Isshin, and Kaiba all started signing their lives away (this took another twenty minutes). Ishikawa then looked over everything, stamping some, signing others, before declaring that everything was in order and that it would be delivered to the government offices first thing in the morning. For the first time since arriving, Isshin relaxed in his chair.

There was a handful of quiet seconds before Atem asked, "When will the transfer go through?"

"Half the funds have already been transferred, so if you and Kaiba-sama want to start working on the Free Play program, the money will be there. The rest of the allotted amount will be transferred in on a monthly basis until the total is achieved, or my death, in which case any remaining due will be transferred all at once."

Atem frowned. "Will the remaining be enough?"

"I've already set aside a trust for that," Isshin replied. "Though if you're still worried, stop by sometime later this week. In fact, I insist, so that you'll have a fair idea of where everything is before you must take control of it."

When Atem nodded, the rest of the family finally started to take notice of what was happening.

"Take control-"

"Papa-sama, I don't think-"

"He's friends with that punk-"

"I was not asking for permission," Isshin said tartly, turning a hard glare upon his family. "I am still the patriarch of this family, the president and CEO of my company, and I may do with it as I wish. And my wish is to see my wealth benefit those who have none. Since you have just proven incapable of running my business, I have found a suitable beneficiary."

"But-"

"For the last hour, you have sat there, silent. Through willful ignorance and laziness, you disregarded everything going on right in front of you. This meeting has been months in planning, the steps to this moment obvious and deliberate. Any objections should have been voiced long before the signing of these papers And yet, you did nothing. There will be no slithering out this time, Ikkaku. You will deal with the consequences of your actions like the man you should be."

Ikkaku paled and licked his lips nervously. His wife was also pale, looking as if she'd just swallowed a bug. Iori was gaping like a landed fish. Jounouchi couldn't tell how much of their reaction was due to Isshin's words versus Kaiba's cold, predatory look. He focused on the table as soon as he realized _this_ was the game Kaiba was playing.

"What about the family?" Ikkaku finally asked, sounding breathless.

"If you all work hard and show restraint, you'll live quite comfortably for a significant number of years after my death."

Someone was making a noise very similar to a tea kettle about to boil over. Pale faces had darkened to an alarming hue of red and all three looked like there were going to explode. Yet before the violence could start, there was a sharp knock on the door. Kuroda strode in with a couple of security guards and a small band of Domino's finest, including Detectives Shibuya and Inoue. Jounouchi froze when he noticed Hirutani being held between two of the officers. He threw a look back to Kaiba, who was settled into his chair, his self-satisfied smirk only partially hidden by his steepled fingers resting against his chin.

"Yamato Iori," Inoue said as he walked around the table, "stand up." Ikkaku and his wife were instantly on their feet, but Inoue had to pull Iori to his feet.

"What the hell-"

"Yamato Iori, you are hereby under arrest for extortion, conspiracy to kidnap, wrongful imprisonment, intent to harm a minor, and fourteen counts of battery."

The tea kettle was apparently Ikkaku's wife, who let out a screech that made nails on a chalkboard sound like violins. Chaos erupted. While several of the uniformed officers attempted to subdue Iori enough to get him in handcuffs, several more were trying to hold the woman at bay. Shibuya had come to stand beside his partner, who was explaining the charges and procedures to Ikkaku. There was lots of shouting and hysterical wailing on that side of the room, but stony silence on the other. The police eventually managed to wrestle Iori out the door, still trailing his raving mother and shell-shocked father.

"Sorry for the intrusion," Shibuya said, bowing stiffly. He glanced at Jounouchi, nodding slightly before turning to leave himself.

Realizing this was his do or die moment, Jounouchi jumped to his feet. "Wait!" The two detectives stopped and looked back. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jounouchi pointed to Hirutani and said, "I have somethin' I wanna tell him." Shibuya frowned. Inoue gazed at him for a hard minute before nodding and motioning him over. Yugi had to give him a little push forward to get his feet moving.

Up close, Hirutani looked like death warmed over. His eyes were red-rimmed and sunken in. His skin had a yellowish-green tinge, hanging loosely over the structure of his face. There was a definite shake to his body, like he was constantly shivering, even though his lips were dry enough to crack and bleed. Everything about him seemed slightly dirty and unkempt, leaving him hunched, weak, diminished. _He looks like an addict too long from his last fix_ , Jounouchi thought. Hirutani at least had the awareness to recognize him and glare malevolently.

"Want to be alone?" Inoue asked.

"No, anyone can hear this," Jounouchi replied. He took a deep breath, evenly meeting Hirutani's gaze.

"Thank you. For remindin' me of who I was and why I never wanna be that person again. For makin' me accept that nature and givin' me the reason I needed to overcome it. For provin' once again that the people who stand with me will be there whenever I need them, no matter what happens. If you hadn't been there, I probably wouldn't have found the strength to get this far."

He paused, turning to look back at his friends. Yugi and Atem were smiling, as were Akiko and Yukiko. Malik, Mahaado, and Anhkhiti were nodding in agreement. Isshin and Ishikawa wore looks of approval. Kaiba's was the only one he couldn't discern, a mixture of everyone else's sentiments, but something else overlapped them, defying description. It didn't help that half his face was still covered by his hands, either.

Holding Kaiba's gaze, Jounouchi continued. "I have somethin' all the power and prestige in the world can't hold a candle to, thanks ta you." His eyesshifted back to Hirutani. "And I feel sorry for ya, 'cuz you'll never understand why I'm already a King and you're not."

When he'd first taken Kaiba's advice and approached the twins about how to verbally eviscerate someone, he'd been skeptical about thanking the man who had honed his temper so sharply. They had spent an entire week convincing him that the perfect way to unsettle someone bent on harming was to take the pain and turn it into strength. He found he couldn't deny any of the examples they had used and had figured at the time that if it confused him, it would confuse Hirutani. But watching the words sink in, watching confusion fade under the slowly increasing force of recognition, Jounouchi knew he'd struck the right mark. Every time Hirutani thought about this conversation, he'd drive the verbal blade deeper, until he eventually bled out emotionally and died, as surely as if Jounouchi had stabbed him and left the body in the mud.

Detective Inoue patted his shoulder with a look that clearly said "well done" before giving the order to move out. The two suits who belonged to Kaiba escorted the remaining officers from the room, leaving Kuroda free to catch him when Jounouchi suddenly went lightheaded and watched the room tilt. He was lowered gently to the floor before having his head shoved between his knees. Static filled his ears, drowning out the rush of people to his side. The edges of his vision were dark and indistinct, and for a moment, Jounouchi seriously considered letting himself pass out.

The moment passed when Yugi grabbed his hand. "Sorry," he mumbled, hoping that was what he was really saying. "Looks like the last few days finally caught up with me."

Yugi scowled, clearly not happy, but the accusation came from Atem. "When did you eat last?"

"Before comin' here."

"A rice ball does not constitute a meal," Yugi reprimanded. Jounouchi gave a half shrug, almost wishing the static would come back. Then he wouldn't have to deal with questions that made his brain hurt more than it already did.

Kuroda and Anhkhiti got him back to his feet long enough to get him into a chair. The twins then hovered over him until he ate the candy bar and drank the tea they brought to him. It would have been amusing to see Yugi and Atem so ticked off if it hadn't been directed at him. So he submitted meekly to the fussing, as much to appease his friends as to give himself a chance to recover, only stirring again when he noticed Isshin preparing to leave.

"I never got a chance to thank you for that letter," he said, approaching the man with Yugi still glued to his hip. Isshin blinked, then offered a tired smile. He looked like every one of his many years had finally crashed into him at once. He had walked in a proud patriarch, a successful man of business. It was painful to watch him walk away a lonely old man. "I'm sorry," Jounouchi said convulsively. "No one deserves to see their family torn apart like that."

"We reap what we sow, young man," Isshin said, voice sad and somewhat hollow. "Maybe not today or tomorrow, but one day, we must all face the consequences of our actions." He patted Jounouchi's shoulder. "I would tell you to remember that lesson, but I can see it's one you already know. I'm sorry my grandson caused you such problems before I learned it as well."

There was nothing Jounouchi could say to that, so he stood aside and let the other leave, feeling sick for playing a part in another man's destruction. Yugi pushed him into a chair, telling him to stay put. Then he turned to talk with Atem about plans for the rest of the night. Anhkhiti said something about takoyaki (at least, Jounouchi thought he heard the word), but he quit paying attention when Kaiba came close.

"You're an asshole," he said quietly when Kaiba stopped beside the chair.

"Yes, I am," Kaiba replied in all seriousness, voice carefully neutral.

"Did you get what you want?"

"Yes." A pause. "Did you?"

"…Yes."

There was a more considerate pause before Kaiba said, "Everything has a price. When I invited you here, I accepted the price you might ask for. All I ask is that you don't hold it over Mokuba's head as well."

The words had to circle a few times before the meaning behind them appeared. Kaiba expected anger… No, not just anger. He was expecting hate, accusation and distrust. He was willing to bear the responsibility of destroying that still new friendship that had somehow managed to develop between them. He had purposefully left himself open to attack, and somehow, Jounouchi felt certain that there would be no counterstrike if the opportunity was taken.

There was a part of Jounouchi that wanted to hate, want to rant and rail at his classmate for tearing people part like paper out of an old notebook. But he couldn't. He couldn't find it in himself to work up the condemnation Kaiba was looking for. Was there really any difference in what they had done this evening? He'd been ready to kill to protect what was his. Kaiba may have devastated a family, but no one was dead for it. More than that, though, was the knowledge that he wasn't really mad at the other for what had been done. No, he was pissed because the whole thing had dredged up feelings Jounouchi had buried about his own family's split. He saw himself in Isshin, saw the want to do something to preserve what was already dying and broken, saw the knowledge that there was nothing that could be done, saw the pain at being forced to stand aside and felt it twice as strong.

Maybe it was because he was so tired already that he couldn't watch the fall of another person. It was probably because he was so hungry at that point that he couldn't think straight. He blamed stress as his reason for grabbing Kaiba's nice dress necktie and pulling the other down to eye level.

"My price," Jounouchi snarled, "is the basement of your security housin'. I want it gutted and destroyed in the next six months, before summer break begins."

Blue eyes blinked once and then narrowed. "And how exactly would you suggest I do that?"

"You're the genius. _You_ figure it out."

They glared at each other. "And if I don't?" Kaiba finally asked quietly.

"Then I torch the place and leave you no choice."

"And go to jail for arson."

"There's nothing you need there," Jounouchi replied, keeping is voice firm and low. "If it frees you just a fraction more, then it's worth it for me. You don't need _him_ and you don't need that building."

Kaiba studied him for what felt like a long time. When he finally nodded, Jounouchi released his hold on the tie. "Six months," Kaiba repeated. "Before summer break."

That flash of will cost Jounouchi the last of his energy. The rest of the night sort of blurred together after that. He remembered been dragged across town, having Yugi push food in front of him to eat until he thought he'd be sick while they celebrated Atem's "graduation." The test results weren't official because the real tests wouldn't be issued until after the first of the new year, but he'd already scored perfects on his last three practice tests, so there was little doubt what the real test's score would be. Since a high school education had been Isshin's only condition for accepting Atem as his proxy, but there would be no opportunity to meet before the end of Japan's fiscal year, they had agreed to sign paperwork during the winter break. Finding out what was supposed to be happening, Anhkhiti had conned and charmed his way into coming as well, intent on meeting the people his friend had found waiting for him on the other side of the world. Jounouchi got the impression Anhkhiti got away with a lot between his easy smile and quick mind. No wonder Mahaado always looked so bored. Anything else only encouraged the silver haired man further.

He also remembered Kaiba being caught up in the revelry. He'd probably been running on empty for as long as Jounouchi had been. Realistically, probably even longer, and managed even less resistance to Yugi's mothering than Jounouchi did. He also ate everything Yugi put in front of him until he gained enough energy to glare back. The night progressed in a light-hearted and easy manner, with lots of loud voices and laughter, a nice diversion from the stresses and problems that had clouded the previous weeks. It was a nice reminder of what was waiting once the sun rose on his birthday, just over a month away. It wasn't until he was settled down for the night (stuffed into a bed, listening to the four Egyptians murmuring to each other in their sleep with snores from Yugi interrupting every once in a while), that he remembered there was one more thing he'd almost forgotten.

...Who had introduced Hirutani and Iori to one another?

* * *

To be continued.


	22. Chapter 22

The next several weeks were deceptively smooth. The White Gala came and went. Christmas came and went. The New Year Festival came and went. Winter wrapped soft white hands around the city, leaving everything peaceful and quiet while time started to erase memory. It was easy to forget anything beyond having a good time with friends…and being anywhere with Anhkhiti made for an interesting time. When he wasn't harassing Atem and Yugi or flustering Ryou, his seemingly endless energy was spent dragging everyone else around, trying to satisfy his curiosity. Since Mahaado was the only one immune, he was more often than not the one who bullied Anhkhiti back down. In the end, this helped both outsiders with being quickly absorbed by the group, much to Atem's delight. When the four finally said their good-byes, everything seemed settled. School started and the monotony/mayhem of a new semester only reinforced that feeling.

Until the day Jounouchi didn't show up for work.

Had he believed in Fate as a personified entity, Kaiba was pretty sure this was her spitting in his face. After weeks of nothing, everything simply fell apart. No sooner had Asahina called to announce she had found the string tying two conspirators together than Akiko walked in looking flustered and uneasy to ask if Jounouchi had attended class that morning. It was a pointless question because she _knew_ Kaiba had been at the office all day with a phone attached to his ear. But the fact that she was distressed enough to forget that pushed him to his feet and out the door with orders hanging in the air behind him. He managed to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut until he saw Yugi and Honda in the lobby, the latter arguing with the guard on duty. He didn't even have to ask. Yugi's face said it all.

"You," he pointed to Honda, "lead Kuroda there. Tell him everything you can. You," he swung his finger to Yugi, "are going to take me there."

"That's backwards!" Honda snapped. "I should-"

"Do as you're told," Kaiba snarled back. "Or do you want to push him farther into a corner?"

"And you're gonna save him?"

"No, that's Yugi's job." The conversation ended as Kaiba literally dragged his rival out the door. A driver and guard were waiting as Yugi stammered out directions. Tires squealed across pavement.

The drive seemed to take forever, letting anxiety chew on nerves there were raw to begin with. It felt like he should have been blind-sided by this turn of events. Things were supposed to be calming down, working out. The shock was evident in everyone else. But all Kaiba felt was a terrible, crystal clarity, because he had known this was going to happen even though he had tried to convince himself it wouldn't. A part of his brain was trying to think of what could have been done differently, to keep this eventuality from ever happening, and was having no success. At least it drowned out the voice that kept insisting it was already too late.

And then they were there, in front of an aged building that had definitely seen better times, racing up stairs littered with trash and other debris like an obstacle course. The sounds of a fight could be heard long before they reached the appropriate door. Fortune smiled a little bit then, leaving the front door unlocked so that the tedious process of breaching the apartment was rendered moot. It might have been a kindness to not walk in on a war zone, though.

The smell of cheap tobacco and stale alcohol was bad enough by itself, but compounded by intense heat, the sickly sweet smell that came wafting out of the doorway made Kaiba's stomach roll. Thankfully, it stayed down. Yugi managed, too, somehow. The guard with them wasn't so lucky and ended up heaving his guts over the railing. Without waiting for his security to recover, Kaiba forged ahead, ignoring the greasy air as best as he could. The shouting, which had been disjointed and unintelligible outside, was only louder in the confined space, making his ears ring. It all came from a brute of a man in what served as the apartment's common area. The wreckage of what may have been living room furniture surrounded him. The unresisting form on the floor in front of him was Jounouchi, looking dead.

Yugi opened his mouth, which brought the man's attention to them. Blistering drunk didn't even begin to describe his condition, but he seemed steady enough on his feet and coordinated enough to move through the ruined room without tripping. Kaiba's gun was in his hand before he even thought about reaching for it, but then Jounouchi was up, tackling the purple-faced drunk before he got more than a few steps. Surprise managed to drive the man to his knees, but no further. Father and son grappled, each trying to fend the other off, until the elder forcefully shoved himself back, slamming the younger into the broken floor. Dazed, Jounouchi lost his grip, allowing his father to turn and start beating with his fists.

Kaiba fired a round up and a little bit to the left to gain the man's attention again. He knew he was a good marksman, but he was just as likely to hit what he was aiming for as the person he was trying to help. The gun report was sharp in the thick air and worked like a charm. Jounouchi's father bolted upright, spine ramrod straight and eyes wild as he tried to find the cause of the noise. Jounouchi's fist lashed out, this time hard enough to knock the other away from him. Another punch made the man wobble unsteadily. The third knocked him flat on his back and by the forth, he was out cold. Yugi stopped his friend before any more punches could be thrown.

Between the two of them, they got Jounouchi out into the clean winter air just as Kuroda and Honda arrived. Somewhat reluctantly, Kaiba gave his position up to Honda, got them into a car and on the way to the hospital, watching until the car was out of sight.

"Asahina will meet them there," Kuroda said softly, resting a hand on his employer's shoulder. "And if she doesn't kick someone's ass tonight, then one of the Matsudera's will." Kaiba took a deep breath, crushed his errant thoughts, and focused on his head of security. Kuroda met his gaze silently for a moment, then said, "Takeuchi reported shots fired."

"One. Mine. Outside wall."

"What do you want to do with…?" Kuroda trailed off.

Kaiba looked back to the building, watching his black suited force scurry around like a swarm of ants, going about the thankless task of cleaning up a high-profile mess before it became public domain. What did he want? To tear the bastard limb from limb, piece by little piece until he felt all the pain that had inflicted had been repaid.

Instead, he shook his head and turned away. "Take him somewhere I can't find him."

Kuroda nodded once more before turning to orchestrate the efforts of his people. Kaiba slid into the backseat of another waiting car, peeling off his contaminated clothes as they sped back across town. He stopped by his office just long enough to make sure nothing was going to collapse without him there before going home. There, he stayed under a hard spray of hot water until Mokuba returned from school. His brother helped cleanse the things water couldn't touch with chocolate chip pancakes and video games, staying close long after exhaustion put them the younger brother to sleep.

***

For the third time, Jounouchi counted the number of holes in the ceiling tile directly above his bed. The doctor had meant it as a joke, to count all the little textural holes in the tiled ceiling, but damn it, he was _bored_. He was supposed to be relaxing and resting, not taking on any extra stress or worry, so what was he doing? Math. One hundred six holes in a tile, forty-nine whole tiles, plus another fourteen half tiles containing fifty-two holes each. How many holes were there in the ceiling?

"Too damn many," he muttered, closing his eyes and wishing he could go to sleep. He was tired in every sense and meaning of the word, yet blissful unconsciousness eluded him. A wondrous side effect of his anxiety and hypertension, no doubt. He wanted to get up, move around, _do something_ , but he'd been scolded once for getting out of bed and wasn't looking forward to a repeat performance. They had left him completely alone in a darkened room without so much as a book or magazine to look at, refusing to administer any sort of sedative because he "needed to process the stress as naturally as possible."

The click of the door unlatching instantly caught his attention. He bolted upright in the bed, adrenaline already pumping hard through his veins. The heart monitor they had him hooked up to started beeping like crazy. Okay, so maybe he was a little keyed up, he admitted reluctantly. He struggled to relax only to find he couldn't, clutching at the bed sheets with white knuckles and fairly quivering with nerves. It seemed to take forever for the door to open. Longer still for someone to actually enter. Jounouchi was about ready to bolt, his lack of escape options be damned, when he finally saw who had entered. Brown hair, blue eyes, white coat.

He laughed a bit unsteadily. "Geez, Kaiba. Give me a heart-attack." The lack of some sarcastic remark only wound the tension in the room tighter. Kaiba said nothing as he came to stand by the bed, seeming to look everywhere but at him. Jououchi watched carefully, still fighting to keep his heart out of his throat. "Kaiba?"

"They said I should wait until the morning, but I figured you might rest easier if you knew now." With something like trepidation, those wandering blue eyes focused in. "Asahina finally found the connection between Iori and Hirutani. It was Detective Shibuya."

Jounouchi blinked. It took a minute for the words to process. "The cop…?"

"Shibuya is husband to the daughter of a Hattori Mamoru –"

"The teacher from middle school."

Kaiba nodded. "He died recently. Aneurism. Nothing anyone could have prevented or accounted for, though apparently the detective though differently. He blamed the altercation with you for the damage."

Everything went cold at the implication. "Is it?" Jounouchi whispered.

"No. It was genetic, forming in days, not over years. Shibuya apparently tried to bring a wrongful death suit against you, but when the autopsy was completed, the case was dismissed. That's when he turned to other methods."

That made a sick amount of sense, actually. A position inside the police department would have given Shibuya access to a lot of information – about Shizuka, the old gang affiliations, the jobs he applied for, all the government things for his family. All the information needed to subtly, but completely, destroy a life. Jounouchi caught the overall plan easily enough, even if a few details were still fuzzy. Kaiba would probably tell him if he asked, and maybe he would. Later. When his thoughts weren't swimming and he didn't feel quite so numb.

He laid back down, staring up at the ceiling as he tried to sort through it all. "So that's it, huh? It's over?"

Kaiba's hesitation drew Jounouchi's attention back. "Almost," the other said without prompt. "Shibuya wasn't just working with Hirutani and Iori. Your… _father,_ " Kaiba fairly spit the word, "…was on the payroll as well. He was being paid under the table to keep track of your movements, to look the other way when you went missing."

"And with those two asshole's gettin' locked up, the plan fell apart. Nothin' else to gain, so the payments stopped." Somehow, it felt like he should be surprised by that, that his own father had sold him out. Honestly, though, Jounouchi couldn't muster up more than a dull ache. "So what happens now?"

"You get some sleep. When they release you, you'll go live with Yugi – he's already got your things packed and moved. You'll go to school, you'll come work for me, you'll graduate, finishing out your parole. After that, you can do whatever you want."

"Whatever I want…" Jounouchi echoed, swallowing hard against the sudden lump in his throat. He blinked against his blurry vision, but it didn't clear. His eyes closed even as the tears continued to slip free. It was… It _was_ … He couldn't even finish the thought.

A gentle hand landed on his head. "It's over, Katsuya," Kaiba said in the softest of voices.

Whatever had been holding him together up until that point abruptly disintegrated. Jounouchi cried as he hadn't in years, the quiet tears of someone beyond pain. He should have been happy that everything was fine now. There should have been relief that the whole ordeal had come to a close. At the very least, something other than the nothing he felt now. But there was no sting of betrayal, just as there was no thrill of victory. The only thing that existed was a terrible numbness that pushed the saline from his eyes and locked up his chest, leaving him short of breath.

How long he cried was anyone's guess. It felt like it would never stop until, at last, it finally did. As quickly as they had started, the tears tapered off, taking with them the awful lack of feeling from before. The hand that had remained in his hair this entire time slowly pulled away. Then Kaiba offered him a tissue box. Jounouchi obediently blew his nose and wiped at his eyes. Oh, wow… _Now_ he felt like hell. There was an amused twist to Kaiba's lips when he said as such, yet no comment was offered. With a stuffy head and body full of aches, getting some sleep sounded like the best idea in the world, but Jounouchi forced it off for a bit longer.

"Thanks. For everythin'." The CEO attempted to shrug the words off, but Jounouchi wouldn't have it, smacking the other's arm lightly. "I mean it. Thanks."

"Then don't waste my hard work," was the somewhat grouchy reply. "Go to sleep, _makeinu_."

"You, too, _teeme_. I find out you're losing sleep over this too, I'll kick your ass."

At last, the familiar smirk came back. Kaiba's eyes lit up with the challenge. "I'll hold you to that," he said, "though I hardly think you could kick anyone's ass in your condition, let alone mine."

"Yeah, you keep thinkin' that and we'll see who ends up eatin' dirt." Kaiba simply shook his head and headed for the door, not quite hiding the amused smile on his face as he left. "Jerk," Jounouchi muttered after the door once more clicked closed, a grin on his own face. He settled a little deeper into the bed with a sigh, feeling better than he had all night asleep long before he even realized he was trying to.

* * *

To be concluded.


	23. Chapter 23

" _Are you sure you want to do this?"_

_Jounouchi smiled and leaned back against the roof fence. His face turned to the sun as he began idly tapping his diploma case against his shoulder. "Yeah, I wanna do this," he said at length. "I'm finally free of the guy I used to be. Next step is to figure out who I am now and who I want to be in the future. I need to go somewhere else, do somethin' else, **be** someone else for a while. Can't really do that here, can I?"_

_Kaiba said nothing. There was nothing to say. Soul searching was something he could understand and appreciate. Needing to do it away from other people, friend or not, made sense. Now that he was successfully graduated and free of his sordid past, Jounouchi had more than earned the right to do whatever the hell he wanted with his life. If he really wanted to move halfway across the world to a blistering desert and leave all else behind, it certainly wasn't the CEO's place to tell him not to. It seemed a little extreme, even by his standards, but he wasn't in a position to argue. He'd already promised that he'd let the other run if that what he wanted. If nothing else, he was a man of his word. He wouldn't back out on it now. So he refrained from saying anything, scowling at the ground instead._

" _Not gonna talk me out of it?"_

" _You're free to do whatever you want." Even if he didn't like it._

" _Come on, teeme…" the other wheedled. "You've never held back an opinion before."_

_True as that was, it wasn't just an opinion he was holding. It was a sense of loss. In the last year, he'd come to count on the other's presence—not just in his office, but in his life as well. A frank opinion whether he wanted it or not. A malicious streak that matched his own. A will strong enough to continually defy even if that wasn't the smartest course of action. He hired people with these qualities because no one else could work with him without those traits, but in the end, those people were still employees no matter how familiar they became. Jounouchi may still have technically been employed by him, but the basis of their relationship was vastly different. There was no line that kept them separate._

_For the first time in his life, Kaiba found himself standing with someone on equal ground…and they were leaving in two weeks._

_Which wasn't the part that irritated him to no end. It was just… "Why Egypt?"_

" _Because it was the first offer I got." Jounouchi chuckled as the scowl deepened. "You asked! And honestly, we didn't get to see or do a lot the last time we were there, and it kinda ended on a bitter note. Besides, someone's gotta remind Atem what an asshole you are."_

_Kaiba started to growl, but stopped abruptly when Jounouchi turned to face him. "I'm tellin' you the same thing I told Yugi – we both know my heart and home's here in Domino. Nothin's ever gonna change that. Not the people I meet, not the places I see, not even the time I spend away. I know a lot can change in a year, but that? Not happenin'. Not when the three most important thin'gs in my life are waitin' for me right here." A snarky smile twisted his lips. "Besides, I've heard on good authority that runnin' away would be the second dumbest thing I could do with my life."_

_A twitch of a smile pulled at Kaiba's own mouth. "Sounds like someone you should listen to."_

" _Naw. He's a pompous, egotistical, arrogant prick." The grin Jounouchi wore was bright and reckless, matching the challenging light in his eyes. "Agree to one little thing now and soon he'll start demandin' temples and hymn to his genius."_

" _That does sound like a good idea…" Kaiba mused, pretending to think it over. He easily dodged the playful swing that was taken at his shoulder, rapping his own knuckles lightly over blond hair._

With a sigh, Kaiba slipped his reading glasses off and rubbed his tired eyes. A year old, and the memory was still as strong as ever. Graduation had come and gone in a blur after Jounouchi's release from the hospital. It had been a close race, but he'd pulled it off in the end with the same dramatic turn-around flare he always managed in his duels. At the end of testing, yet before their graduation ceremony, it came to light that he'd been invited to spend time abroad. The actual invitation had come from Atem, but the force behind it came from Anhkhiti, which was apparently the real reason the offer had been accepted. For a year and a day, he would live in Egypt, learning exactly who Jounouchi Katsuya really was.

Jounouchi wasn't the only one who'd left Domino to find themselves. Anzu had jumped into a dancing career herself, on a plane headed for America only a few days before Jounouchi had left. Ryou had also returned to his family for a while, yet came back before summer's end to start attending a local college with Yugi, who split his time between that and his grandfather's shop. Though their paths rarely crossed anymore, Honda was apparently doing well with his mechanics training and Otogi was mid-production for another game. Freed from his own constraints, Kaiba had spent as much time abroad as he had at home, his time mostly split between overseeing continued construction and working to get the Free Play program up and running. This had led him adding a day or so onto other trips to see Atem, and by association, Jounouchi.

After the third such trip, Kaiba reluctantly admitted to himself that it was more because he missed the other than really about any sort of business he might have had.

Life had been pretty steady, all things considered. The clearing of his security building had been surprisingly quiet and uneventful, even if Asahina had bemoaned the loss rather dramatically. When she'd finally patted his cheek and told him he'd done the right thing, he'd kicked her out of his office. Kuroda had been (thankfully) keeping her busy since then. Other than the usual assortment of inter-department issues, tournament organizations and participation, and the stray threat or three, the most exciting thing that had happened was Akiko announcing her engagement to a well-suited man within the company. Life had moved on, and yet stayed very much the same.

The clock, which had been mocking Kaiba all day, finally relented under his stare and told him it was the time he wanted it to be. Probably just as well that he'd accomplished nothing today; with as distracted as he'd been, he'd have to redo everything anyway just to make sure he hadn't royally screwed something up. In short order, he had his things packed up and was heading out the door. Yukiko waylaid him just long enough to shove a package into his hands, the smile on her face the only answer she was willing to give for the action. Dutifully, Kaiba put it in his briefcase and continued out to his waiting car.

The first stop was to the Kame Game Shop. Yugi was patiently waiting for him outside, poking his head back inside the front door for a second before approaching the vehicle. Kaiba waved off the expressions of gratitude and signaled the driver to move on. The second stop was to Domino Station, the main terminal for all the trains that ran in and out of the city. There, they met up with Shizuka, who also politely and profusely expressed her thanks for the ride. Kaiba found himself slightly harder pressed to get out of the gratis, but found it easy enough to focus some irritation at Yugi, who may or may not have purposefully poked at him for being so stubborn about the whole thing. Then, it was to the airport. The extra time in traffic was balanced out by a slight delay in the arriving flight, leaving the awkward standing and waiting to a minimum.

Shizuka saw him first in the crowd, her delighted cry of "Onii-chan!" floating over the rest of the noise easily. She dashed past other passengers greeting their loved ones, but it wasn't until he saw her get swung up and into the air that Kaiba actually saw Jounouchi. Yugi didn't wait to be approached, either. As soon as the sister was set back down, he did his own version of a flying leap at the blond. He was caught just as easily, even if he wasn't whirled around as well. That left Kaiba standing alone as he took in the changes.

The last year seemed to have been much kinder than many of the previous. Jounouchi grown a bit taller and put on a stable amount of muscle that helped fill his frame out. Hair that had been fairly long during their last meeting was once again cut into the more familiar shaggy style and bleached into a more unified blond colour. His skin had picked up a definite tan that was much easier to see now that everyone around him had lighter skin. Minor adjustments, really, in the grand scheme of things. The biggest, and most pleasing, change that could be seen, however, was the way in which Jounouchi held himself. No longer the aggressive stance of someone who was constantly pushed to defend themselves, acting out a nonverbal threat to intimidate every waking moment, but the carriage of a man who was comfortable with the power in and the burden on his shoulders. Not a cocky teenager with a grudge and something to prove, just a person who knew what they were capable of if the situation called for it.

With an arm wrapped securely around the shoulders of his sister and best friend, Jounouchi approached him, the grin on his face disturbingly like the silver-haired rat that had initially called him away. Kaiba straightened up in response to the challenge, returning the smile with an arrogant bearing of his own teeth. They stared at each other for a long moment before the last bit of haze left Jounouchi's eyes, that dark, almost unfathomable look that had started them down this path so long ago now a whole and steady part of his gaze.

" _Makeinu_."

" _Teeme_."

Jounouchi had mentioned three things kept him tied to Domino. One position was automatically filled by Shizuka, who held Jounouchi's loyalty and affection highest of all. It took little speculation to conclude the second was probably Yugi, considering they were also family in every way but blood. But for the past year, Kaiba had pondered who or what could fill that last space. Not a home, because Jounouchi had never really had one, nor a place, either. Despite his whining about wanting a real hamburger, he'd be happy no matter where he physically was. The objects that had been cared for had also traveled with him and therefore could not be returned for. Though a person could be reasoned out as the third thing, Kaiba had no luck figuring out whom, and all questions on the matter had been met with a playful, "You're the genius. I'm sure you can figure it out."

About the time Kaiba realized he was travelling to see Jounouchi rather than to attend to some business matter was also when he found himself hoping that third spot was his. The hope was a small, horribly neglected thing, but there nonetheless, surviving even the harshest mistreatment. In the months that followed, as Kaiba settled into firmly denying its existence, his continued thoughts on the matter blended almost effortlessly into his daily life until these last few days. He was still prepared for disappointment, but the hope that there had been a promise somewhere in those words had flourished as well.

Face to face, eye to eye, it was clear that indeed there had been an unspoken promise lying waiting within that third spot. Considering he was one of the few who had received the phone call detailing when the other was coming home, it was fairly obvious that the position belonged to him. And while he could still very well be wrong about what all that may actually mean, Kaiba found himself unable to care. The fact that he was there at all was enough of a victory that the rest ceased to matter.

Such simple words that conveyed everything they needed to say. They were the only words that really needed to be said at all. And they would be last thing that would ever change between them.

* * *

The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for sticking with me this far. Before anyone asks, yes, this ending is supposed to be ambiguous. I never had any intent on doing something more than I already have. My argument has concluded and the person it is for agrees. Find your own ending if mine isn't enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Want more writing/music/bad fangirl antics? I've got a semi-NSFW [tumblr](http://grimreaperchibi.tumblr.com) where all the weirdness gets dumped.


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